The Kung Fu Games
by Blinkandyoullmissit
Summary: These are The Kung Fu Games. There is only one survivor. Fight to live, or die trying. Inspired by The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. The Games have begun, but another fire is burning... Happy Kung Fu Games, and may the odds be EVER in your favour!
1. Chapter 1

Prolouge

They were coming. She knew it, and it made her so scared, so afraid, so vulnerable. She ran, faster than ever before.

They couldn't find her. They _musn't _find her.

She knew she was cut out for this, she was a kung-fu warrior... But she couldn't bring herself to it, she couldn't kill her own friends. It seemed so dead, so heartless. And, what's more, she didn't even know why.

They're nearly here.

_Run! Go, run!_ It was nearly too late for her.

And, suddenly, it all froze.

The world span.

And then someone screamed.

Chapter 1

It was an ordinary day when it all began. If days were people, and they all lined up, you wouldn't have noticed it from the others. The only thing that made it stand out was the terrified, yet confused look on it's face. All the days before would be quite content... all the days after stood in fear.

"Po, you will spar with Tigress. Crane, you will spar with Viper. Monkey, you will spar with Mantis. Clear?" The sharp tone of Shifu's voice rang out around the training hall. A voice not to be reckoned with, a force of nature.

"Yes, Master Shifu," they all bowed respectfully. That is how they lived, after all. Before the world flipped upside-down. As they calmly began to train, all seemed to be at peace. Well, at peace until...

"MASTER SHIFU!" A bird came flying - literally - through the doors of the training hall, looking more flustered than normal (quite an achievement for the normally flustered Zeng) "It is a message from the Emperor of China himself!" The peaceful atmosphere ruined, Shifu sighed, before retrieving the majestic-looking scroll from the bird (who, admittedly, needed a rest, considering the amount of stress he put himself under). Slowly, as if a dragon may leap straight off the paper and into his face, Grandmaster Shifu of the Jade Palace began to unravel the scroll and silently read. After a few looks over the first sentences, he rolled it back up again, turned to his students and spoke, in his powerful not-to-be-messed-with voice

"I am to read this in private. You are to not disturb me. You shall continue training. And, if any of you **dare **even think about reading this, I shall rip out your stomach and force you to eat it. Is that completely clear, **panda**?" The force in the last sentence would've made even the most scary, terrible creature run to it's mother.

"Yes, Grandmaster," there was no objection in any of their voices. As jokester as some of them could be, they weren't idiots (usually). However inquisitive Po might've been, he was going to have to wait. Life would've been so much better for them if they never truly found out the horrible details of the fateful letter, after all. Zeng, not wanting to know what would happen next, quickly left for the village. That would probably be the last time he would go down those stairs without fear.

Master Shifu briskly left his students and made his quick way to his room. The most private area of the palace. No-one would catch him here. Carefully, he re-opened the scroll, as his eyes scanned over the first few sentences:

_Grandmater Shifu of the Jade Palace,_

_This is a letter sent directly from the Emperor of China. I advise you not to take it lightly, at all. Your students, the Masters Crane, Mantis, Monkey, Tigress, Viper and the Dragon Warrior, Po Ping, must not see this letter. It is of the most high confidentiality. Only three people know of it's existence: You, the Emperor himself, and another highly important individual who wishes not to be named yet._

_Now, the highest courts of China are asking you to comply with below. You must do this, on the Emperor's orders, and you cannot ask why..._


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"Students!" Master Shifu exclaimed into the training hall. Everything seemed to freeze, as the students raced to their master. Stadning proudly in a line, they failed to notice Shifu's shaking hand, looking only to his face and listening only to his mouth for their next task. So, what Shifu had to say next suprised all of them much "If you were to die tomorow, what would you do today?" The mighty warriors looked at each other in bewilderment

"Master, forgive my inquisitivness, but why are you asking us this?" The tiger iron-lady of ancient China spoke up, her voice ringing across the eerie silence that was now the training hall.

**Flashback**

Shifu looked up quietly from what he had been reading. A demand from the emperor was unusual, even for the greatest kung-fu warriors in China.

_We require the Dragon Warrior, Master Crane, Master Monkey, Master Mantis, Master Viper and Master Tigress to come to the Imperial City in three days. _

_The emperor of China has been threatened by an secret source. They require you to supply all of the masters of China (Minus yourself) to the emperor's uses. The source demands they must be secluded fromthe outside world in a dangerous arena, where they will be require to kill everyone until only one remains. They has revived many of China's most deadly enemies, to take part in this act. Our source requires all of China to know of this happening. It will be publiscised, and before the warriors are abandoned in the arena, there will be much 'fuss' about the event. _

_We realise you will think this proposition is suicidal and hopeless, but the unnamed source has suuficent enough information to prove that he will invade, and kill, everyone in China. Naturally, the citizens come first, however dire the consequences may be for the warriors. Also, with the numbers this threat's army have, it is impossible to fight back. There are more in his army then in the whole of China. _

_Please vaguely inform your students that they must leave for the Imperial City as soon as possible. However, do not tell them any details of this letter. They will be told what they need to be told when they arrive. You are forbidden to accompany them._

_We are sorry for your future losses._

_The Emperor Of China_

Master Shifu stared, horrified. Basically, what this letter was saying was he'd have to let all his students go into a suicidal act, without any knowlege why or how, and wait for them all to die, helpless?

But, then he remembered. All of China was at stake. 12 million **(A/N: Just a guess!) **lives were at stake. As were his daughter's, the Dragon Warrior's, and all the best warrior in China's. The impossible choice. Your country, or your family? Master Shifu looked up to the heavens above in hope of guidance. Master Oogway would've known after all - he was far wiser than some of the gods, in Shifu's secret opinion.

"The impossible choice." He muttered under his breath, as to not have been heard.

China?

Family?

China?

Family?

The question swung back and forth in his head, like a pendulum. If only the pendulum could send him off to sleep, a far better place for intelligent descision-making. "What would you have done, Master Oogway?"

"What do **you **think? What would I have done? Who comes first, China or family?" A familiar voice blended through the grim silence, makes a smooth, soothing sound. Shifu span round quickly, only to see... the ghost of Oogway.

"Master Oogway!"

"Shifu."

"What should I do?" The turtle floated, with a thoughtful look on his face

"You do underestimate your students, Shifu. What do you think, after I said that?"

"I should send them,"

"But they are the closest thing you have to family...?"

"I shouldn't send them,"

"And then all of China would die."

"I should send them,"

"Including your closest family... Everyone would be doomed if you didn't send them,"

"I should send them"

"Now, tell me Shifu, what will you do?" Master Oogway was an enigma in himself. One of the most wise beings that will ever exist, yet who still asks some of the most obvious question.

"I will send them,"

"Good morning, Shifu," and with that, Master Oogway disappeared once more. But Shifu knew what he had to do now. However dire the situation, China came first.

_Even to family..._

**A/N: What next? R and R, please! Also, this applies to the whole story, so I don't have to repeat it every chapter: DISCALIMER: I do not own Kung Fu Panda. I do not own the Hunger Games series. They belong to their respective owners. I own any of my own OCs. If any of you have good villians from your own stories, could I feature them in later chapters? Again, please review. Thanks and goodnight!**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Silence filled the air, as Master Tigress' question stood, firm and clear. They all looked eagerly to Shifu. He looked each of them closely in the eye... before turning and walking the other way.

"I have recieved a letter from the Emperor of China. As you know, it is a private letter. It involves you however - and no, not specifically the Dragon Warrior. All of you are equally involved..." Refusing to face his students, the teacher went on " I am forbidden to tell you any specific dates, however I have been allowed to give a brief summary. I cannot tell you everything." Describing the horror he had been faced with wouldn't be an easy task, especially when he had to make it seem harmless. One of them would notice something was wrong. They just couldn't be allowed to work out they were right.

"You will leave for the Imperial palace at sundown. Be there in 4 days at the latest." Shifu returned to his normal, commaning self.

"Master Shifu, Master Shifu!" Po waved his hand and yelled his master's name like a school child desperate to answer the million-pound question.

"Yes, panda?"

"I hope you don't mind me asking, but why? Why do we need to go to the Imperial Palace? I mean, it's like mega-awesome and everything, so it's not like I don't want to, I'd just like to know why..." The curious - and mildly afraid - panda questioned his master's statement, though not wishing to have his head beaten through for it. After all, it was the question on all of their minds. Po was the only one stupid/brave enough to make it heard.

"You will all go and you **will not object!** Clear?" The answer smacked back hard at Po.

"Ouch... sorry, Master..." To the suprise of everyone, Shifu turned to face his students and calmly replied

"Don't be. I knew you'd want some form of answer." He paused, letting his out-of-character apology-of-sorts sink in "The Emperor of China is hosting an..." Shifu stopped again, trying to find the most vague word to use "...an event. He wants you to battle in it. He would like a festival. That is all." That was all, wasn't it? In the most basic form, anyway.

But only one would be returning... Shouldn't they be allowed an opputunity for final goodbyes?

"... The Emperor wants us to relocate to his palace for three years. He would rather you didn't leave Gongmen City, apart from missions, until those three years are up. I'm sorry I couldn't tell you before..." The obviously gobsmacked looks on the six adults' faces proved to Shifu that they'd all been convinced by his not-so-fantastic lying skills.

"But... Master..." The panda stuttered, lost for words. "I... I can't leave my father..."

"It will be hard for us all, Po. But we cannot defy the orders of the Emperor, can we?" Shifu honestly sympathised with the lost-for-words Dragon Warrior. This would affect his poor soul the most, by far.

"Uh... uh... No, we can't defy... uh... the Emperor... can, uh, we?..." Po looked on the verge of tears. They all looked close, even the ice queen, Tigress.

"No. You have the rest of the day off to prepare for the trip. You may go and say your goodbyes. Students, you are dissmissed." With a wave of his hand, they all dispatched. Po immediately ran to the Valley. Tigress didn't even hesitate in running after him. A few minutes passed, before the others followed the two best friends down.

* * *

><p>"Po? PO!" Tigress chased after her partner-in-combat, who was currently half running and half tumbling down the stairs. When she eventually caught up with him, he had obviously been crying. Tears streaked down his face, and his eyes were red and puffy.<p>

"I can't leave him, Tigress. He's my dad. I just can't." His voice cracked on the last sentence, as more tears began freely falling. Unsure of what to do (Tigress had never cried in her whole life before - she'd never known anyone who had), Tigress put a hand on Po's shoulder. She was on the verge of breaking too - the Valley of Peace was her home. It would be hard.

"Please Po... please don't cry..." She sounded spookily familiar to a child. It frightened Tigress to see her always-jolly, never-depressed friend like this. It killed her.

"I'm sorry, Tigress. I shouldn't cry, I know. But, the bond between me and my dad... Can you keep a secret?" He looked at her with pleading eyes.

He was Po. She was Tigress.

She nodded

"Tigress... It's my dad. He's really ill... He... Tigress? He's dying..."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: DUN DUN DUUUN! Dramatic ending! This chapter was really hard to write, so please review to tell me what you thought (Shifu's lie was really bad, but it was the best thing I could think of! What a nasty lie, Shifu!). More reviews makes a better author! And more chpaters! Thank you so much to all the reviews so far, they are really helpful to me, it really makes me ever-so happy when I see a review. The feeling is undescribable! Also, I know no-one was dying at this point in The Hunger Games, but I felt like adding some DRAMATIC FLAIR (!) at this point, and it came up in my mind, so yeah. Next chapter will be a (very sad, heartbreaking, will-probably-make-me-cry) confrontation between Po and Mr Ping. Whether it's the last one... well (as River Song says) SPOILERS, SWEETIE! Anyway, because you are probably sick of this A/N, I'll finish now... And on that bombshell, goodnight!**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

"No..." Po's big reveal shook Tigress to her very core. He was Mr Ping, he was probably more invincible to everything that the Furious Five combined. He couldn't be dying... "How?... How could he be dying?"

Po looked at Tigress, through the floods of tears flowing down his face like waterfalls

"I don't know. He just suddenly began feeling ill, and so we went to a healer... and they marked him for dead..." That was what broke Tigress' soul of platinum. She leapt forward and hugged Po tightly, as he cried into her shoulder. When she pulled away, there was a visible wet-spot where her face had just been. Slowly, she brought her hand tp her face. she could feel something cold, something wet...

"This is the first time..." she breathed out gently

"The first time for what?" Even in pre-mourning, Po felt the urge to know absolutely everything about absolutely everyone.

"The first time... I've ever cried..." They locked onto each other's gazes, as the world seemed to freeze, leaving only them.

"Po?"

"Yeah?"

"Can I come with you, to see Mr Ping?"

"Sure, master Tigress..." He only called her that when he was really upset.

She understood.

* * *

><p>"This is Mr Ping's Dragon Warrior noodle shop, buy your noodles here, tofu too! Special offer today only, half-price on Dragon Warrior dumplings, buy today!" Mr Ping wasn't ill to the untrained eye. Unless you truly knew what was wrong, you wouldn't have noticed the slight falters in his step, the way his eyes are slightly unfocued, the way he spins just a bit too much to be normal, his feathers that hadn't fallen for months now but were dead, the way he was sweating slightly more than normal, the way he would often over his face, just for a second, and show what he actually felt inside. It was all the little details that would count. Because, in the end, they were what would send him to his deathbed.<p>

Not that Mr Ping ever thought about it before. Now he knows his days are limited, he spends them doing as much as what he loves, making noodles, as he can. No-one would've noticed the difference.

"Ah, Po, my son... Po, what is wrong?" The ever-caring father, Mr Ping noticed his child's crying instantly. Call it 'Father's instinct'.

"Um... I have to tell you something Dad..."

"Could it wait, son? I have to serve tables 5, 8, 4, and 11!"

"No. Not really."

"Fine. You go to Tables 4 and 8, I will serve 5 and 11, then we shall talk. Deal?"

"Yeah, okay Dad." The job as done almost as quickly as it was said. A 'temporarily closed' sign was put up, as Po and Mr Ping went into the kitchen. Silence fell.

A knock broke it.

"Po? Mr Ping? It's Tigress, could you let me in?" The female tiger yelled through - unnesscessarily, as both Mr Ping and Po could easily hear her.

"Are you okay with her listening, Po?"

"Yeah. It's okay, Dad, she knows." Mr Ping opened the door, allowing the lady to enter. She was greeted by Mr Ping and his magical way with selling words

"Hello, Master Tigress! What an honour to have you here! Would you like some noodles?"

"Um, no thank you, Mr Ping. Not right now. Thank you for the offer though." The atmosphere was awkward and tense. No-one knew what to say. Everyone had their secrets, but no-one wanted to start.

"So, uh, Dad... Me and Tigress and the Furious Five, well, uh, today we got a, a... an offer. Actually, not really an offer. A demand. From the Emperor of China. Two, actually!" The estatic look on Mr Ping's face broke both Tigress' and Po's hearts.

"More customers, fan-TASTIC!"

"Well, actually, no Dad..." Mr Ping couldn't understand what Po was implying, not one bit. Nobody had been expecting it...

"Po, son, I know I'm getting older. I know I'm going to die. That does not mean, **on any account**, that I will stop working. I am not going to stop until I am literally at death's door. Master Tigress, I presume Po has told you of my... condition?" Tigress nodded. It was the only thing she could do.

"Well, actually, Dad, he is making us move to Gongmen City."

"Really? You simply must put up **all **of these posters, more publicity, more money, more noodles!"

"... Permanently. At least for the next three years."

" It'll be great for customer service! ... You will visit, won't you?"

"That's the thing, Dad. He's banned us from returning to the Valley until the years are up, except for missions."

"What? Why?"

"Master Shifu won't tell us. I don't think he knows really, though."

"This is why you've come here? To say..." Mr Ping couldn't bring himself to say it. It hurt too much.

"To say goodbye?" At this, Mr Ping only glumly nodded "Yeah. That's why..." Then, without warning, Mr Ping lept onto his son in a wave of sentimetality and hurt

"You can't go, son! What will happen to the business if I... If I... die?" The last word only came out as a faint squeak. Tigress watced the whole thing, wishing the ground could swallow her up whole right then.

"Dad... I... I..." Po went back to his initial stutter "I don't... I don't know..."

Mr Ping looked over at Tigress, desperation, lonliness and dread written all over his face.

"Could you give me and my son some privacy please, Master Tigress, if you don't mind?" Glad to feel useful, Tigress nodded and silently walked out of the door, quietly shaking.

Master Tigress left. The remaining father and son stood in a sour silence.

That's when Mr Ping broke down.

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><p><strong>AN: I NEED REVIEWS! Sorry, but I really need the encouragement. And yes, I didn't include the very sad bit yet. Sorry? PLEASE REVIEW OR I WILL RUN OFF A CLIFF SCREAMING INSANELY! ABOUT YOU PAYING FOR MY FUNERAL!  
>Do your bit for your county. Review.<br>Okay... BYEEEEE!**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: I was going to write how Mr Ping and Po interacted... but then I re-read Chapter 4 and realised it would be better mostly left to the imagination as to what happens. But, I needed to add this bit at the end, and I included a summary of what happened as vaaguely as I could so most of it could be left to the imagination. I think it would just be too sad for the story... If enough people ask me (I'd say about 6) I will write out what happens, but I don't think I will at the moment. Anyway, ENJOY!**

Chapter 5

It was a few hours later when they finally recovered their senses. Then, they sat in solemn silence, for a while. Suddenly, Mr Ping got up and left the room. Po did nothing to stop him. When he returned, Po barely took any attention. When Mr Ping placed his arm gently upon Po's soldier, he barely flinched

"Po?" The old goose waited, patiently, for a response.

"Yeah, dad?" Mr Ping pulled out a few items from behind his back. He handed Po a scroll. It was old and tired-looking.

"I know, I know, I should've given it to you when you found out about your true origins... but I just couldn't bring myself to it... but if I never see you again..." The world silenced as Po opened the scroll and read it:

"_To whoever finds this... if anyone,_

_If he is still alive, this is my son. He is called Po. Lord Shen will have killed all of our kind by the time you read this. I am another Panda. I am Po's mother._

_When he is old enough to understand what really happened, give him this letter. Thank you for taking him into your custody. My soul will be forever be in your debt._

_Dearest Po,_

_I love you very much. I wish I could've been with you through your life. I wish it didn't happe like this. I presume you know of Lord Shen: Yes, he killed your father (I presume. The last time I saw your father, he was fighting for both of our lives).He has probably killed me now, too. I am sorry we had to depart from your life when you were at such a young age._

_Please, follow all your dreams. Be yourself. Follow your heart; it will lead you to where you need to be._

_I love you._

_Ái (Your Mother)_

Po stared. And stared.

Deathly Silent.

Deathly Pale.

"I am sorry I never showed it to you son... please forgive me." Po slowly raised his head, face showing no emotion.

"No. It's okay dad... it's fine. Don't worry, it was the right thing to do. I'm not gonna hate you for it. You did what's you thought was right. Don't beat yourself up about it." Even to this very day, Po Ping could still suprise his father with his reactions.

"Thank you son. Also, the other thing that I needed to give you..." The panda's father brought out a red strip of fabric. It wasn't just red, however. It was green, yellow, white, black and red. As the goose unwravelled it, the true picture was shown.

A chinese dragon.

"It's a family heirloom. Each generation gives it to the next. Our legend states that, when someone dies, they must make sure the next generation has it. It's sacred. I don't know when I will die, so I'm giving it to you now. The legend about it says it will bring great luck to anyone who deserves it. If anyone deserves luck, you do, Dragon Warrior." After handing it to the panda, who tied it around his left wrist, Mr Ping bent over in his best impression of a kung-fu bow.

"You're my dad. You don't need to bow to me; I should be bowing to you! And, besides, you're nearly falling-" Po leapt forward to catch his wobbling father, and set him straight. It freaked Po out to realise how similar it felt to reajusting a house of cards: they're weak and frail and often fall. "Father," Po bowed, kung-fu style.

"Po?" Tigress had returned "I'm so sorry, but we have to go, or the Emperor will be slaughtering us all." Barely days later, they'd realise that was the whole point, all along.

"Okay. Gimmee a minute!"

"I'll be waiting, panda." You could almost hear the smirk in her voice.

"Suuuure..." He didn't doubt her for one minute, though.

"Dad? I guess this is it then. For the better or the worse..."

"For the better or the worse..." Mr Ping gave his son one, final hug. He didn't know if he'd ever see him again.

Po bowed to his father. He didn't know if he'd ever see him again.

They looked at each other for one, final time. They didn't know if they'd ever see each other ever again.

Then, they turned, and left.

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><p><strong>AN: REVVVVIEW!**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Okay. So, basically, they've all packed up by now and left. Including Shifu. Remember the letter said he couldn't come with them? Well, I'm going to address (it took me ages to learn how to spell that word XD) that, I've not forgotten! The first part takes place during the journey to Gongmen, the second when they've arrived.**

Chapter 6

When going through China at a slower pace than their normal, rushing-to-battle speed, it's amazing how you can see everything in a different light; notice things you wouldn't have before.

"Don't you ever wonder how they fit all these many places in one land and still have room for fields?" The trip so far had been remarkably silent, with only the occasional comment.

"That isn't really a logical question, Crane. You're usually logical. Why did you ask?" Tigress' answer was blunt and firm, answering with a question.

"Leave it off, Tigress, he was just saying..." Po good-heartedly nudged his best-friend's shoulder.

Tigress was not amused.

"I just answered it logically. That's the only way anyone gets anywhere; through logic."

"Don't you ever bother to widen your mind? Think about the impossible?"

"What good would it do? As you said before, the impossible is the impossible. It's not worth thinking about."

"Sheesh. Lay it off, Tigress." He suddenly quitened his voice, so only they could hear "Don't you ever feel like the Emperor has too much power over us? I mean, he's awesome and everything, but he just seems, to me, he think he owns us."

"Your point being?"

"I just keep wishing I could think of a way to show him that he doesn't own me. If I'm going to leave, I don't want to be the Almighty Dragon Warrior who bows down only to the Emperor. If I die today, I still wanna still be me." Po looked at her. She didn't quite know what to say.

"I... I just can't afford to think like that."

"PO! TIGRESS!" Monkey yelled back to them. It was at that moment they realised how far behind they were.

"HURRY UP LOVEBIRDS!" Crane glared at the offending Mantis, who sat there smirking. The Furious Five and Po had returned from silence.

"MAAAANTIS!" The embarrased duo chased their insect friend up the mountain they were climbing up. The whole way, Mantis hopped around in glee. The advantages of being faster than everyone: If you made an innapropriate joke about them, and they tried to catch you, you'd always outrun them on speed, even the great master Tigress!

Speed. That could be a useful skill for the games. An advantage. You need as many as you can get.

TKFG

"We're here, Mr Emperor! Omigod, I'm actually here, at the Imperial Palace! Now, what?" They all stood in front of the most majestic gates ever seen to panda, tiger, monkey, mantis, snake or bird. They were mainly red, with two golden dragons making a small circle in the centre. Inside the circle, there was a backround of grass-green, and a dragon seemed to leap out of the centre. No-one could deny it, the doors were impressive.

"Ah... you arrived... but why is he here?" A cloaked figure seemed to rise out of the ground in front of students, like reverse quicksand.

"That-was-so-COOL!" Trust the fanboy...

"Grndmaster Shifu of the previous Jade Palace is here of the Emperor's request: We are moving to the Imperial Palace, in Gongmen City." Ever the undefeatable warrior, Tigress answered for her comerades.

"Ooh, that's nice sweetie! Now, come out to play, Shifu!" The creepy, hidden figure stepped forward and beckoned, making sure his identity couldn't be revealed by using the long drapes of the cloak to make his activities obvious.

"You don't speak to our master in that way!" Master Viper hissed in menacing tones. Even more menacing, in it's insane voice, the figure replied

"Be quiet girly. Save your voice for the interviews. You won't last long in the games, so make sure they know you beforehand. You. Don't. Want. To. Be. Forgotten!" It sang the last few words, and Viper flinched slightly.

"The games?" Po needed to know. They sounded interesting...

"Later, children. First, I must speak with your master. Please?" They all got into fighting positions, defending Shifu at all costs.

"STUDENTS! Let me through! It is okay, I expected this." They relaxed, letting the red panda walk through. "Hello. I trust you are here on behalf of the emperor?"

"Hmmm... slightly. I'm also here on behalf of, what do you know him as, the 'unknown figure'? Yes, that sounds mysterious and dangerous, he'd like it! Anyway, Shifu, to business. The letter specifically states you are to stay in the Valley of Peace. The proceedings will still take place, don't think **for a moment **you are capable of stopping it!" His jokey demeanor suddenly broke to reveal this cruel, evil inside.

"I would've stayed... Except I don't trust the letter, and my students wouldn't have been convinced unless I came." Shifu remained emotionless, whilst his students watched on in confusion.

"'Moving here'? Gosh, they are so gullible, you lot are **so gullible,** you hear me?" They still watched on, not even blinking "You aren't a great liar, are you Shifu? I'm betting that the kitty will win. She's the only one smart enough, and she has considerable strength. Although all that bodyfat will help the panda stay alive without food... probably not healthy for his species. What do I care though?" It's voice went truly psychopathic and mad at the end "Most of them will die, and the survivor will go mad. They'll all **die **eventually, and they'll remember your last act as the lie! What a great sendoff!" The students gasped at this.

"Guys... what Master Shifu told us, it was a lie..." Tigress whispered to her comerades. Then, she strode briskly up to the cloaked figure, who you could almost feel the smirk radiating off. "Tell me now before I rip you to shreds, **why are we really here?"** The figure just plainly replied

"Listen to your master. It's all lies, liiiiiiies! But you'll find out the truth soon, hon'!" Master Tigress looked as if she could've exploded right then and there

"I will kill you."

"Yes, maybe someday. If you survive. But not now, honey! Aren't you feeling sleepy?... Just a bit tired." Suddenly, Tigress felt the little prick in her neck. It was only when it began speaking that her feelings returned to her... not that there were many, either way. But her neck was sensitive enough.

"Wossat?" Her words slurred into one another. Then, without warning, the figure brought out a knife, and ran to Master Shifu, holding him with the knife slowly edging closer and deeper in. Everything seemed to sway, and multiply, and Tigress swung her heavy body around to see her friends. Even in her blurry vision, she could make out they were all unconcious.

"Guuuuuys..." They'd been drugged.

"Now, dearie, go to sleep, and when you wake uup, it'll all be fine. Oh, don't worry. We won't kill you while you're unconcious. Where's the fun in that? But, no time now. You're nearly out. Just let your eyes... slip... closed..." Tigress' fight against herself was useless. She couldn't possibly win. "... And, nighty night, sleep tight!" She could feel herself falling to the ground. Just. "Off to the land of dreams, goodbye!" Tigress stopped fighting, and let the blackness flow.

**A/N: REVIEW PLEASE! This took a while to write, so I'd appreciate a review. All will be revealed, next chapter... well, some stuff will be revealed. BTW, if you haven't read the Hunger Games, I strongly recommend you do. They are fantastically written, and are my favourite books at the moment! (I am an anti-twilight!) REVIEW PLEASE! Also, half term means more chapters: YAY! REVIEW PLEASE! BYE! Also, sorry for it being late, my computer decided to time out whenever I tried to log in, but now it WORKS!**


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

"Wake up, sleepy-head. Rise and shine!" Opening her eyes almost felt like too much a task for the tiger master. The voice vaguely swam into her conciousness, as she waited for it to speak once more, "I know you're awake, lady. You were flinching in your sleep just before you woke up. Now, you're unnaturally still. Therefore, you're awake but you think I don't know. Let me tell you one thing sweetheart: I'm psycho, I'm not stupid. I'm evil, eeeevil!" It had the most haunting voice, that sent chills down Tigress' spine.

"Who are you?" She leapt up, and ran towards the edges of the cage she woke up to, smashing her face between the bars "TELL ME WHO YOU ARE!" She roared in frustration.

"Oh, all in good time dear. But I have the upper-hand now, so I say no." The cloak came out of the shadows to the utter 'delight' of Tigress - she wanted to tear it to pieces. "Don't you want to know about the games? Or your friends?"

"TELL ME WHERE THEY ARE!" She cried, almost in fear. She could not lose the only people she cared for.

"Hun', look around you." Tigress knew better than to disobey, and looked. She was able to make out the sleeping forms of her friends. They were all breathing. They were all fine.

She sighed with relief.

"Kitty, I need your attention. And not just because I'm attractive and you can't wait to rip of my cloak and admire my beautiful form. Oh honey, you should see me in a crown..."

"Why? Why should I listen?" Tigress growled at the, frankly, quite disturbing creature who lurked around her cage.

"Because, mwah darling, this is the only time you'll find out. About the games!" The figure (deicdedly male) squealed in glee at the prospect. She didn't look quite as pleased.

"The games?"

"Yes, lover-ly, the games! Wake up your friends, would you? Be. My. Dear." It was almost a threat, the way he said those last words. Tigress realised that if all of them heard _exactly _what he said about the 'games', maybe someone could find a loophole. Or an escape. Anything, really...

"PO! MANTIS! CRANE! VIPER! MONKEY! ATTENTION!" She yelled in her most booming, noisy voice. Everywhere seemed to shake with fear at the sound. Obviously, they all became wide-awake straight away. "Yes, you were drugged. Yes, so was I. Yes, we are stuck in prison. What will we do? You will listen carefully, _very carefully,_ to what this guy has to say. The thing is about to tell us about the games. Listen." They just nodded silently. No-one dared to disagree with the fearless tiger. No-one who valued their life, anyway.

"The thing? No, the-very-attractive-mysterious-cloak-guy!"

"Shut up and talk. We're listening."

"Fine, puss in boots. The games? Ooh, the games!" He rubbed his cloak drapes in excitement "My master, who I can't name, has a massive army bigger than China positioned to invade any day. If he invades, basically, you're all screwed. You've no chance, and that's not my exxageration. Even your master agrees." They all looked at each other in worry: Master Shifu knows too? "So, what my master wants, you have to do, or *pow*, all of China dies. Deal?" They all slowly nodded, unsure of what they were letting themselves into...

"Now, my master had this fantastic dream one night. All of the Chinese Kung-Fu masters had this festival, and they were all brought to the highest of their glory and fame. Then, suddenly, they all fell down to this arena, where they were forced to kill each other until one remained. And all of China had to watch. He dreamt of all the villians who were in the arena too, trying to kill the warriors. The warriors even turned on each other; what a twist! Anyway, my Master woke up. And he thought 'what a fabulous idea!'. Don't you all agree? So, he began to turn his dream into a reality." The creature paused, letting the information sink in, "Welcome, my dears, to the Kung-Fu Games! Only one rule: Kill or be killed, and may the odds be EVER in your favour!" Suddenly, massive walls seemed to appear from the ground, seperating each of the team from each other, boxing them up. Tigress raced to a wall and smashed on it, hard. No use. Suddenly, the oh-so familiar voice of the creature seemed could be heard from all around the box... yet from no specific place. Almost as if it was coming from the walls themselves... "Oh, and dears? The interviews are in two evenings time, when you wake up be prepared to meet your stylists and mentors: we need you to be pretty and smart for China, don't we?" Suddenly, the air turned funny, and the world (yet again) turned to black.

**A/N: REVIEW! I filmed my own Hunger Games trailer with my friend today: so fun! REVIEW PLEASE! GOODNIGHT!**


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Waking up felt different to normal. As Tigress' eyes snapped open, a bright light shone down upon her. Squinting, she could make out the features of an empty room.

Escape. The door.

She rolled off the table she'd been lying upon, and ran to the door, aiming a hard kick at it.

The door was barely scratched. Again. Nothing. AGAIN! It stood, unharmed.

"Stop fighting. Don't waste your strength." Tigress span round to the source of the voice. It wasn't the creepy figure, who's high-pitched voice resembled none others, "My name is Nynso." A lynx stood there. He wore a plain black sleeveless top and plain black pants. The only thing that would define him from the citizens was the thin gold line around his eyes. His fur was a golden brown, and his eyes were light grey. Tigress gave him a little credit: he could certainly make himself look good. "I'm not here to hurt you. But I can't help you yet. You need to be changed before I can start work. Your figure isn't bad, it won't be too hard to work with. Your fur is fine, although too thick. The prep team can deal with that. You could look quite nice, if you stopped glaring. You'll be fine. I can work with this." He gestured to her, before walking towards the door calmly.

"What's going to happen next?" Tigress realised she didn't have much chance of escape at the present time, and this lynx seemed trustworthy enough to ask. She couldn't do much with the information he gave her; she was in solitary confinement.

"The prep team will come and fix you up. Then I'll come back. And you'll meet Kunku."

"Kunku?" The name mystefied Tigress. She knew it meant 'hardship'.

"Your mentor. I will be seing you later, after they've fixed you up. Your prep team. Please don't kill them; they don't really know what's going on. I needed an impression of your character for my designs. Thank you for your help. See you later, Tigress." He just left. Tigress couldn't understand him, at all. Usually, she got a general impression of people she met. Usually, she could vaguely work them out. This lynx... she had no idea.

But there was no time to dwell on such thought, as suddenly some colourful things burst excitedly through the door in a mad flurry. All Tigress could see was pink, orange and blue, all rushing around. She did the only thing she knew to do when she was confused and weirded-out. She got into battle-position and yelled

"STOP OR I'LL ATTACK!"

"Please don't hurt us!" They all froze, and for the first time, Tigress was able to properly see them.

They were three, colourful poodles. Two were obviously female: the pink one's hair was tied into a massive bow, and she wore this hot pink tu-tu skirt that stuck out almost like she was wearing an unbrella. Her top was primarily a black wrap-around, which had deep purple rings sticking out around it. The orange one wore a frilly pink shirt, and a sparkling -literally- black tube skirt that flared out in a sharp curl at the end. Her clothes looked like they were made out of plastic.

The blue one was male: he wore dark blue shorts which curled out so they were like spikes, and each had a little button at the end.

Tigress had never seen such odd clothing.

"Fine. I won't hurt you. Promise." she relaxed into a normal position "You are the prep team that the lynx -Nynso- sent, right?"

"Y-y-yes..." they all nervously shook, fearing for their lives.

"He wants you to change my appearence to fit what he needs, doesn't he?" they all slowly nodded, "Well, I won't hurt you. I promise. You tell me what to do and I will do it." Grimacing, she stepped forward, not wishing to be altered but following her conscience; if she didn't, an innocent might be killed. She didn't doubt the psycho-cloak-guy. Slowly, the team of poodles walked towards her, still slightly shaking. She could easily kill them with one blow. The pink one, who managed to pluck up enough courage, instructed Tigress quietly "Lie down on the bed." She did exactly as the poodle nervously had asked. The door opened to allow a little trolley, filled ith odd looking equipment, to come in. "Now, Master Tigress, We are going to make you look beautiful..."

**A/N: PLEASE REVIEW! I only got, like, ONE for the last chapter! :( NOT IMPRESSED CHILDREN! Review... OR I'LL DROP YOU INTO THE GAMES TOO! *Scary music plays in background* MWHAHAHAAAA!**


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Tigress wished she could hate her prep team. She wished she could hate the colourful poodles that would be decorating her for death. But, she just couldn't find it in her. They seemed like simple-minded fools. She knew they probably had no idea why they had to make her look 'presentable'. All they seemed to care about was how she looked. After the initial 'tiger fear', they got working. They started commenting on her current apperance after the first few hours. All Tigress could do was lie still and watch; a word from her and they would all freeze in fright. Then they'd get nothing done. Better to stay silent.

"Okay, we've done your face, arms and feet," the brave, pink poodle, whom Tigress had come to learn had the name Liea, spoke directly to Tigress "Now, we need you to get up and strip."

"WHAT?" Tigress cried out in horror. She had not been expecting this, at all!

"Sorry," Liea whispered in fear, as she and her teammates (of whom she'd learnt their names: the blue one was called Yein, and the orange called Myniea) leapt back in fear. "We thought you'd been told..."

"NO! No, it's fine, don't worry, sorry for my... outburst, it just came as a shock..." Tigress tried to calm the poodles down as best she could.

"We... w-we could f-f-find a wa-way around-d-d it, if you l-like?..." Myniea stuttered, terrified that the kung-fu master would lash out upon her. Tigress had enough patience not to, however.

"No, it's okay, I'll strip if I must... could I have a robe for when I don't need to be, well, naked?" Tigress decided just to follow along with what anyone asked and not object. If she did, it was more likely she'd spot a loophole in what they said. They're more likely to tell her more than they should if she pretended to be all 'sweet, humble and innocent'. Everyone is gullible in that way.

"Yes, Master Tigress. Thank you, Master Tigress." Liea answered, before trotting out, then returning witha plain white bath robe. Everything was plain white in this area, very futuristic-seeming.

_I guess it means that no message can be sent through. Plain white, blankness, nothing-ness. It's not like colours could really send a message through, though._

Tigress returned from her mind-land and, as fast as possible, stripped. She would've felt embarrased, but the poodles didn't look at her like she was a naked tiger as such. They looked at her as a rugged stone that needed to be smoothed out. Tigress lay down on the bed, closed her eyes, and feigned being asleep so she could overhear them while they worked. Maybe she could find some information about escape, or the mysterious threat, or anything... sadly, this proved a useless exercise, as all that came out of her prep team's mouths' was gossip and rubbish. Nothing useful whatsoever.

"Master Tigress, we've finished. Would you like to see yourself now?" Yein prodded her lightly in the side. She immediately shot up, startling her poor prep team.

"Yes, if you would so please." He scampered out of the room, only to return with a large mirror, that he propped up against a wall. Tigress, barely containing her curiousity, strode over and scanned her newly-altered body:

Her fur had changed the most. It had been trimmed much thinner to what it was before, it wasn't half as thick as before. If Tigress could feel anything, she thought she would've felt much colder. Her feet, thankfully, hadn't been bound. These 'games' would've been near impossible if they had been. However, they looked different with certain fur having been removed. Tigress admitted they looked a lot nicer, though she had no idea about the practicality of the adjustment to her body. Her usually tussled fur from training and fights had been perfectly straightened... almost too straight. Her face had been mildly edited to bring out the more 'attractive' areas.

Tigress gave her prep team some credit - they certianly knew how to do their job well. She didn't look half-bad.

"Nynso is going to come in now, to inspect you." Liea half-whispered, as the trio slowly retreated out of the room. Tigress stood in silence.

"Hello again, Tigress." The lynx re-entered. He started to circle her, checking her body. "The prep team have done a fine job with you, haven't they? I have your clothing designed. Have you heard about the chariots yet?" he made it sound almost like an absentminded query.

"No. What are they?"

"Oh. The chariots? You know the person you met when you first arrived? He told you about the warriors 'being at the top of their fame'?"

"That horrible beast? Yes, I remeber all of that clearly."

"Well, top of fame: there has been a message sent out to all of China 'COME! SEE THE MIGHTIEST OF CHINA'S WARRIORS FIGHT FOR YOUR ENTERTAINMENT! SEE THEM IN ALL THEIR GLORY, BEFORE WATCHING THEIR SKILFUL FIGHTS OF TRUE POWER!'. Obviously, the part about you all having to kill each other hasn't yet been mentioned. One of the things he plans to do to bring about your 'glory' is to hold a festival in your honour, in which you'll be taken around a track in chariots. He wants you all to look amazing, 'glorious' for the event. That's one of the main reasons I've been hired. I'm a part-time stylist, and the emperor approved of my designs." Tigress looked at him, disgust for the emperor clearly written on her face.

"So you're here to make me look pretty for the emperor?" Nynso leaned forward and looked her in the eye

"No. I'm here to help you make an impression."

**A/N: Okay guys, this is actually starting to hurt a lot. One review. ONE FRICKIN' REVIEW! Please, I work hard on this, sohw some appreciation and review, even if it is just 'Nice', 'Cool' or whatever. Just to know someone has bothered makes me feel happier. Please, review! Next chapter will be our first meeting with Tigress' mentor, Kunku...**

**Also, if you haven't already, go and read all of FFCrazy15's stories for KFP. They are amazing and a heck of a lot better than mine! WOOHOO GO FFCRAZY15 AND THE AMAZING STORIES! Sorry, just needed to put it out there. Au revoir!**


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Kunku didn't seem like a bad person to Tigress. He treated her like she was important, he answered anything related to the games she asked within his ability, he had wise defensive strategies... it was just...

Tigress couldn't quite shake the feeling he was hiding something personal. He had that feeling of someone who was mentally scarred but tried to ignore it and move on, without getting proper treatment. Tigress knew when she got that sort of feeling that is was worth listening to.

She knew from experience.

"Why are you here?" the question came from Tigress' mouth out of the blue. She just felt the urge to know overtaking her, then suddenly... that.

"I am here to train and mentor you to the best of your ability-"

"I know that... just why you? Why would you be here? Why you?" She honestly couldn't stop.

"I... I was a warrior in the army. I was, if I may say so myself, one of their greatest warriors. Later in my career, I was dissmissed for... personal reasons. They told me I must leave Gongmen City as 'apparently' there is not enough space for me and my 'apparently' illegitimate spouse, whom they... disliked. So we were forced into the woods outside, as everywhere rejected us on fear of the emperor's wrath. I learnt the nescessary skills to survive in the woods. I lived in there for 12 years. 12 GOD FORBIDDEN YEARS!" There was true pain in Kunku's eyes as he almost yelled it out, "But they always knew where I was, somehow. They sent a message to me, asking me to return. Stupidly, I refused them. Then..." He began to break, slowly and silently... "They came... they killed..." He couldn't go on, as tears silently streamed down his face. Not used to this situation, Tigress put a hand on his shoulder and slowly said, as if having to think about the words she used before everything came out

"I.. I am truly sorry for your loss..." They sat in silence for a while, only the occasional cry from Kunku's mouth breaking it. Finally, he stood up, as the brave army soldier he was, and commanded:

"That is the past. It's not relevant to your training. Now, I need to learn of your skills, so I know which areas need work. Follow me." They marched to this door marked with '5'. Kunku pulled open the door, and they walked inside.

It was a gigantic orange area. It was her training room. Designed specifically for Tigress. Everywhere, there were little areas' dedicated to different forms of attack and defense. She could see bows and arrows, knives, ropes, snares, weight bags, every form of combat Tigress could think of had it's own little 'area'. Also spread around were targets and dummys, for practice.

"I only need my kung-fu, Kunku. With it, I will survive." Kunku looked at her almost as if she had lost her mind.

"Maybe. But we will still learn as much of everything as you can. You are my student. You will train as I command." Even though he was shorter than Tigress, he had this powerful aura that wills you to do as he commands. Tigress knew better than to disagree, and ran to the first station of many, that she would be spending the next few days practicing at. The next few days before the games.

**A/N: SORRY FOR NO UPDATE YESTERDAY! It was like my younger sis' birthday so I kinda had to dedicate my day to her. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL THE REVIEWS! I woke up the other day and looked to see if I had any and there was about 5 and I was like 'WOOAAAAAH!'! Thank you all so much, it means loads to me! Please review this chapter as reviews help me write so thank you all! I've kinda been busy making and editing a video with a friend so I haven't had time for a long update, and I like this because it describes Kunku as how I want him: Emotionally damaged strong-type person. and I know I didn't say what species he is, I want you to GUESS! It probably won't be what you expect, but if anyone gets it right I WILL HAVE THEIR OC IN THIS STORY! How 'bout that, a competition? Okay, rate and review, and goodnight!**


	11. Chapter 11

"The chariots. They're tonight."

"I know. Early end for training?"

"We'll give the prep team 2 hours and Nynso one - apparently your costume is all ready, although he mentioned he wanted as much time, directly before you go out, as possible. Is that okay?"

"Yes. I think we can arrange that, as I am second-to-last in the running order. Obviously, the Dragon Warrior is last."

"Mmhmm. Yes. Now, I'm going to get the trainer to give you an attack test, and you may use only a bow and four arrows to deflect him for five minutes. Set?" Tigress calmly took her weaponry that she had been training with in the morning then made her way to the battle area. There should be marks in the floor from previous fights. There wasn't any, due to the ever-present cleaning staff who made sure nothing could be seen.

"Set." She muttered just loud enough for everyone to hear her. Everything raced to life, from the silent, dead state it had once been in. You wouldn't have ever known it was the calm place it was before.

After many minutes, the fighting ended.

Tigress still had one arrow left. The other three were being used to pin the trainer by his clothing to the wall. Nothing near perfect, but a reliable enough aim to work with... _just in case. _

"Good. Work on faster arrows, it took you seven minutes and twenty-three-point-eight seconds to get him into a reliable place. The arena won't give you that sort of advantage. Now, swap around, so he shoots and you dodge, just if you happen not to get the arrow." Kunku looked at her with his sharp, intruding bird-eyes. Tigress found this most disturbing, the 'glaring a hole into her soul' business.

But two could play at that game.

"Set." In position, she began to dodge the sharp arrows coming at her. The trainer was obviously an excellent and skilful shot; otherwise there was no way he would've been hired. This excercise was easier for her, because she was on familiar grounds now: practicing when she was younger and her tiger senses gave her a good edge, as well as her combat knowlege. However, this trainer also seemed to have this inner-circle knowlege, or was extremely lucky, as she was often taken by suprise by his arrows.

Either way, he was good.

"END!" Kunku yelled, as Tigress dove to the ground from her leap, graceful as a dove. After lowering herself, she got up and dusted herself off.

"You're one step ahead of your opponent. Make sure you are two steps ahead, fake the first step then use their prediction against them with the second step. Improve." She was a talented warrior who only required the best of training. She didn't appreciate compliments anymore: Shifu had taught her that the hard way. So that's why she was cold, and only appreciated the cold.

After all, the warm are the first to die.

"You haven't deliberately tried to kill anyone yet, I'm impressed." A small smirk appeared on Nynso's face, as he trailed around Tigress' naked, 'improved' body, and complimented her control of will.

"You expected me to?"

"Well... let's say a few bets were placed..." You could hear the laugh in his voice. Tigress couldn't work out whether to trust him or not: on one hand, he hadn't forced her into this killing and didn't exactly seem to support it. On the other hand, he seemed very sneaky and sly, and hadn't shown any dislike or feelings against the games.

"Right... What am I to wear for the chariots?"

"Well, Tigress, you are said to be the fearless warrior of the furious five. You wear the vest coloured in blood - obviously, I don't mean literally. You are the heat that keeps the hearts of the five burning. You are a _south _china tiger. The creature I seem to be relating you to is a Vermillion Bird... and what element does a Vermillion bird represent, that describes you completely?"

Tigress thought she couldn't work out who Nynso was. Well, she thought, _I jolly well know now._

Viper had ribbons tied around her body, making them wrap around herself in a way that made them look like they bloom out, in a way similar to a colourful flower, around her snake-body. Mantis had a black, reflective board that was connected to his simple cothing, that made him look much bigger than he actually was. Crane's fur had been covered in a temporary white, and had been covered in calligraphy - literally. The only bits not covered in markings were his wings, which were outlined in silver that made them flicker when he moved. Monkey was in a serious-looking suit... which was full of comedy tricks. It was hard to stay serious with his suit, if they didn't know what was approaching next. Tigress was relatively plain compared to everyone else. She wore a black body suit and a black headress that stuck up like flames. Along her arms there was more of the fabric, left loose. She had been told to raise and lower her arms as if she was trying to flap off, but only **after **Nynso's insane, life-threatening plan had been set into place. Po, the dragon warrior, was amazing. It was easily anticipated, but it still took everyone's breath away.

Po wasn't dressed as a dragon. Po _was _a dragon.

"So, we need to play being all happy and joyful about this and not reveal anything?" Crane voiced everyone's thoughts in a calm way, so that no-one could get there first and talk in a slightly more... menacing way.

"Well, dears, yes you do. And don't think you can get out of it, by the way, loves!" The voice way instantly recognizable. The high-pitch, the silly words, and the madman behind it: It was the nameless, cloaked figure.

"YOU!" Having by far the easiest clothing to move in, Tigress almost lashed out at it, before landing in space. Cloak-man had disappereared and vworped into somewhere else. Resigned, Tigress decided there was no way she would get information or freedom for her comera-friends, she reminded herself, if she kept attacking. Because, if it came down to it, she would kill herself to save them. Especially Po...

"Nu-uh-uh! Sorry, sweetie," at this, Tigress couldn't stop a small growl escaping her lips, "but I can't have you attacking me... And you won't now, anyway, because otherwise, someone will die for it! And I'm not joking!" He started giggling at his _insanely _funny statement, before adding in a complete change of tone to serious yet still just as evil "I have kidnapped twenty-four young children and women. If you do not perform, not only will they die, but so will my latest captives. I have one close to each of your hearts, and they will be here and each time we sense anything wrong, they _will be tortured!_" He broke into laughter again, before Viper found the ability and courage to hiss back "Who are they, then?"

"Oh, hun', think about it. Who do you treasure most? Don't worry, I know. Exactly who. Snake-lady, your mother. Idiot-mammal, your mother too, because she's the only one you won't tell anyone about. Bug, your little butterfly-friend. El Storko, a special cat who is mildly amusing to play with called Mei-Ling. Pissy big lady, your master Shifu, because he is _sooooooo _protective of you, and fatto? A noodle-seller you know. Now, before you rebel, think about how it might affect those you love. Think about it..." With that, he disappeared into the ground. All they could feel is shock and horror, as the opening ceremonies began.

They all stood together, mainly in an awkward silence, before, one by one, they were called off to get into the carriages they had been allocated. The warriors felt nothing but sympathy for the horses forced to pull them along. The horses, at close-up, could be seen to have been beaten and mildly tortured, but look beautiful from afar. Snow-white, silky, they could've passed for some sort of magical creature.

At last, it came for Tigress to get on a carriage and present herself to the world. Her tiger features were quickly touched up on, as she stepped into the carriage. Almost hoping Nynso had forgot his mental plan, she prepared to leave, but then the lynx came running up with a box of matches and a special mixture of chemicals. Tigress had seen him put some on her earlier, this was probably for the starting stages. Not speaking, he lit her up, so she was quietly burning, but not to the full effect yet. Nynso leapt back off just as Tigress turned to wave at her dragon warrior friend, who gave her the thumbs-up and a big grin, before facing forward to the rest of China. All her fellows had been a raging sucess, and hopefully she could continue the trend. She didn't quite fancy death yet.

"AHHHHH!"

"OH MY GOSH LOOK!"

"SHE'S ON FIRE!"

"I LOVE YOU TIGRESS!"

All Tigress could hear was a mass gasp, then screams of approval, shock, and joy. Maybe Nynso wasn't _completely_ insane...

Turning her head, she was just able to see herself in a giant mirror used to make seeing her easier - not that they needed, for she was burning brighter than everyone else, literally. Seeing herself, she had to prevent a gasp from escaping her lips.

Tigress was on fire, Tigress was burning, Tigress had kindled a flame that would be hard to stop. And the fire was beautiful.

Her recognizable features had been outined, so it was quite obviously her. There was almost a slight darkness to her look, which both suprised and pleased Tigress. A vague touch of rebellion conjured from her personality, Nynso certainly earnt credit for that. But by far the most noticeable feature was her flames. Her black costume was burning, although Nynso had assured her it was completely safe... probably. The wings... the wings! Tigress suddenly began to bring up her arms, and the fabric in the flaps rose until it was well above. Vermillion Bird she now was, a creature from myths said to be flaming. Her fire symbol, a mild rebellion sign. A fire to keep the hearts of those she was brought up to protect burning. To keep them warm. Maybe even safe.

So Tigress made sure everyone loved her and thought she was amazing. After all, if she didn't, people would suffer... and die.

**A/N: SOOOOOOOOOOOOO SORRY! Yes, no update, so kill me, I've been really REALLY busy. And everything is in a different order. So kill me (please don't). Hope you like REVIEW OR I'LL HAVE ANOTHER MASSIVE BREAK! And OMG YAAY I CANNOT wait for The Hunger Games Movie I booked my tickets nearly two weeks in advance - as soon as my cinema opened pre-booking. Going with 3 friends, SO EXCITED! Review, please, and thanks to all those who already have, I love you with all my heart, soul and mind. So does Tigress. If you review. If not, I'll send her to get you. No pressure or anything.**

**Oh, and I might kill Mei-Ling, Mr Ping and Shifu. No pressure.**

**And no-one's got what Kunku is yet. A few more hints in this chapter, I will reveal it in the chapter right before the games.**


	12. Chapter 12

Standing there, decked out in another glorious costume, waiting to be called onstage for a public interview, Tigress thought back to her last reaction to publicity, after being nearly burnt alive:

"_Oh man, that was AWESOME!" Po's favourite phrase_

"_Bet my almond cookies you were the best of us all!" Monkey's favourite cookies_

"_If only my ribbons could swirl around to mkae me look as if I was alight..." Viper's treasured ribbons_

"_Ya' looked hot, shockingly!" Mantis' joke (that earned his a hard swipe on the head)_

"_If only I could capture that in a drawing..." Crane's absentminded thoughts on art..._

They were all praise from her friends hearts'... her friends who she was meant to kill, the next day. Tigress knew, technically, her senses would allow for it. Her mind, however, couldn't possibly make her follow through with the dreadful act. Killing an enemy, yes, that was allowed for, but killing your closest friends? Tigress knew she would kill herself a million times over to protect them. Walking up to the centre stage, to be presented to all of China through a special mirroring system, she pushed those thoughts to the back of her mind as she greeted the presenter. It was all obviously fake, her smile, everything.

"So, your fiery entrance?"

"It was... fantastic, wasn't it? As is this dress, don't you agree?" Straining her voice to sound nice and happy-go-lucky and free, so no-one would suspect anything was wrong, Tigress gestured down to her clothing.

It was as if flames were licking at her feet, then rising to an inferno around her body, before letting ash fall from the top, and as she span, the flames flickered wildly, desperately trying to reach for her. It was magnificent.

"Sure it is. Spin for us, why don't you, let everyone see the flames burning, as I had the privilige to watch earlier?" Wanting to act as peaceful as possible, Tigress span round and watched the audience's excitement as she span and span and span and the world span and span and span with her... "Careful, you'll get dizzy at this rate!" The presenter, who Tigress really hadn't payed_ any _attention to so far whatsoever, held her arm as she lowered herself to the seat. Mildly dizzy, her senses weren't quite as sharp as normal, which disturbed her, so she spent the rest of the interview giving quiet either a quiet 'yes' or 'no' to answer his questions.

"So, many people have been sending in a question we simple have to ask: what is your relation with Po Ping, the dragon warrior?" Brought out of her solemn trance, Tigress studied the odd-looking blue squirrel and blinked in suprise.

"He is... my friend."

"Oh ho ho, don't think you're getting away that easily, miss!" The odd animal presenter, who had already interviewed all the other parcipitators bar herself and Po, gave a loud chuckle, as the audience were chanting for more. Not wanting anyone to gget hurt due to her foolishness, she chose her words carefully:

"Po Ping is a friend of mine. We have a very close, _very non-romantic _relationship. That's all, really. As he would say, best buddies..." She gave her first true grin of the night, imagining them doing something completely idiotic, her slapping him, him still doing it and dragging her in as well, both of them getting told off by Master Shifu, then running off as she told him off and he'd say something along the lines of 'we're the coolest best-buddies ever, right Tigress?' and she'd just stop whatever she'd been lecturing him upon and nodd, then they'd go to their _seperate _rooms and do whatever next. Wash, rinse, repeat.

"That's a shame... anyway, it looks like your time is up. Thank you very much, Master Tigress! Now, introducing our last interviewee, a warrior said to be the strongest of them all, who can survive with only meditation, who it takes less than a week to master a technique it takes others most of their life to begin to learn... ladies and gentlemen, please welcome the DRAGON WARRIOR PO!" As Tigress left, Po came onstage, only to be greeted by a mass of screaming fans. He just yelled back to them things like

"YEAH YOU'RE ALL AWESOME TOO!" and "YOU'RE ALL GREAT!" At least 30 people fainted at the sight of him. Once he finally settled into the interviewee chair, the freakish squirrel whom Tigress finally learnt was called Cladius, began. As soon as the words came into motion, it was obvious they were a fantastic double act. Comic timing, the same humour, bad jokes, give-and-take, they had it all. The audience were obviously in stitches, as Cladius came to a final question:

"So, Po, what is your relationship with the beautiful Master Tigress?"

"Tigress?" He looked mildly confused and slightly thoughtful, before beginning, "Nothing much, really..."

"Oh, don't give us that rubbish, she said you had a 'very close relationship'. What's your definition of that?" That little squirrel was really starting to infuriate Tigress...

"Well... can you all keep a secret?" Not waiting for a response, Po continued, "I think she's like, awesome, since like I've been about 5. I... I think..."

"Well, spill, we all desperately need to know!" God, Tigress was _so _close to rushing onstage and punching the living heck out of that presenter...

"I've had... a crush on her since I was about 10, and if there's one thing I know, it's... it's that I love her. I love Tigress." Shock. That's all the numb Tigress thought she felt. Burying her face in her dress so no-one could see it as a sign of weakness, the audible gasps barely touched her, as she listened for Cladius' reaction.

"Wow... That was a real shocker, wasn't it? Wouldn't you love to bring her back up onstage?" The screams of approval from the audience were brought down by the additional, "Sadly, rules of these interviews state once the time is up, you can't bring them back. And, on that note, it's the end of your interview. Thank you, Po Ping, and we hope to see all of you again soon! Thank you, and goodnight!" Still in shock, Tigress barely noticed the lights go out, and was dragged, blankly, back to her room, thrown onto bed with a huffed 'goodnight' as she lay, staring into the darkness.

**A/N: LOVE SHOCKER!c...Yes, I know, no update, sorry! Also, sorry if time switches were hard to understand last chapter, I only noticed after it had been published... Anyway, skip ahead of time, simply because it will be boring, I came to interviews. I gave a brief overview of the rest of the chariot-flames at the start, but it's pretty similar to in The Hunger Games. MOVIE IS OUT ON FRIDAY! :DDDD YAY! So excited, and sorry for no updates, been rehearsing for an (excellent) school drama competition every day. Anyway, PLEASE REVIEW, and g'night!**


	13. Chapter 13

"Last five minutes before you'll need to be preparing for the games!" Kunku yelled to Tigress, who nodded silently before returning to attempting to untie a special kind of knot (key word _attempting - _so far, her work had proved fruitless). She was trying her best to distract herself from the night before, and the revelations, which led to her lying out flat across her bed (a far fancier version than the jade palace - Tigress didn't like it), staring into space for hours on end. _Po had said he loved her._ Though it might've only been for strategy... there had never been any romance before...

Hadn't there?

No, there hadn't. Tigress felt sure of that. Maybe it was a publicity thing... in which case...

Po had just made Tigress look like the biggest fool in China.

"Why didn't I see that sooner? GAH!" Throwing down the rope in the shock and anger of realisation, Tigress strode over to Kunku, who perched watching her actions intently, "Why do you think Po said... what he said in the interviews yesterday?" Kunku seemed to be intelligent and wise, so would probably help her make a better desicision than to run off and throttle Po right then.

"So the tiger's finally come round? And she certainly took her time..." As she growled, Kunku simply hovered a bit higher, just out of reach, as he squwaked down, "Well, in my opinion, I think he did you a lot of good. You were interesting enough, but your fierceness porbably scared any possible supporters in the games you might have. The rich are cowardly; if you seem cute and innocent, or loving, or something along those lines, instant sponsorship. If not, they probably will leave you. What Po did not only benefitted him, but you as well: he made you look lovable, hopefully not in the cute way, but in a romantic way. There are enough idiots in China to fall for it - the kung-fu lovers - which means you'll get more support, and a better chance. Before you go and try to kill Po, think about playing up the lovers angle in the arena. Otherwise, you probably come across as rebellious. Learn to act." And with that, Kunku flew off, leaving Tigress to follow him back to the centre. Crane and Monkey were already there, in an awkward silence. Kunku dropped back down to her eye level and murmured quietly, "When the games start, grab a weapon, preferably one you can use, some supplies, and run. I know you don't want to kill, so you'll have to outlive them. Besides, injuries from stupid fights aren't going to exactly help. Remember, there are creatures and old enemies in the arena - make sure you aren't near them, and for the sake of the gods don't fight. Think about alliances - the only ones I'd say are the snake and Po. The others are pretty pointless, and you'll end up killing them in the end - accidental or not. Basically, if possible, get away, and stay alive." Some of the eerie guards, whom Tigress had got used to seeing after having to live in the palace underground for a few days, came, and ushered Kunku away. As everyone started to turn up, the atmosphere got tenser and tenser. When Po arrived, it took all of Tigress' willpower not to slap him, hard. Eventually, everyone was waiting, when a chipmunk-doctor came in and injected all of them with a chemical solution before they had time to react. Not expecting this, but unable to fight back due to the sinking sensation, Tigress watched as the mysterious cloak-guy appeared. As their senses faded away, the last thing Tigress heard was the sing-song, "Can't have you knowing where the arena is and trying to escape. Wouldn't that be a tragedy - we'd have to kill you! What a waste, when we can watch you kill each other. But, time to go, nighty nights!" And then everything turned black.

**a/n: VERY SHORT, not much time, sorry. In answer to Rosie's review, yes, I am keeping it very close to the books deliberately in that aspect, just because the love-triangle would be really fun to play out, and I love that part of the book (even though I am Team Gale and hate Peeta until he got 'Capitol mind-changed' in Mockingjay). Thanks, PLEASE REVIEW AND RATE OR I'LL DIE, and goodnight!**


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Awakening wasn't peaceful. It hurt Tigress' head a lot, as she blinked and stared around the empty, blank-white room. "Agh..." she muttered, trying not to squint. Looking hurt too, a new discovery.

"G'morning sunshine... or is it afternoon? Whichever it is, it's good, don't you think?" Instantly recognizing the odd phrase, as she turned her head, while briefly shaking it, to see Nynso stood beside her, lending an arm down to help her up, "After all, it's not like you're here to kill anyone or anything. Isn't this all so nice?"

"Obviously not."

"Tigress, I was being _sarcastic_."

"And where would that get us?"

"God, are you always like this?"

"Yes."

Quite typically of Nynso, he suddenly ended with a quiet remark: "Predictable."

The mini-argument was followed by an awkward silence, before the lynx-stylist knocked on a wall, for a door to flap open and a plain white sack was dropped into the room. The flap shut before they could react, and sealed itself into the wall. Tigress hated the past few days and all her advantageous equipment that seemed to be taken for granted underground, as they would slam doors which closed themselves, and hardly ever ate all their food that came, perfectly made, through a hatch seconds after ordered (Tigress knew what it was like to be starved, truly starved - through both witness and experience). All of it, all of how it was taken for granted - it sickened her.

"Why are you sending me off, Nynso? Shouldn't I be, well, alone for takeoff? When the Games start? Because they are starting today, I have been informed." Absentmindedly, whilst opening the white sack and searching it's innards, he replied,

""Yes, the games start today. No, I'll be there right up until you enter the arena. If you think about it, I need to give you your clothing. I didn't choose it, by the way. It's standard clothing. Here, look." Beckoning Tigress over, he nodded to the bag, which was, inside, a mess of black, grey, and a bit of blue. "Here's your underclothes." At this, the lynx grabbed the blue items of clothing. "Get them on." Tigress had stopped feeling uncomftorable with Nynso being around her naked body a long time ago - he seemed to see her as a blank canvas ready to be experimented with until you get _just _the right picture. So she got out of her training costume (a plain black bodysuit, yet not at all similar to the one she burned in), and into the underclothes.

"Shirt." Chuck. Catch.

"Bottoms." Chuck. Catch.

"Coat." Chuck. Catch.

"Now, come over here, Tigress." Suddenly, his voice went all too good-natured and happy, as she walked over, curious as to his change in personality. "Could I have a hug, before you go and provide us all with _entertainment_?" Normally, Tigress would've slapped anyone, even Po, twice if they asked her of that, but the look in Nynso's eyes told otherwise. He needed to tell her something that wouldn't be recorded. So she entered the hug with wide arms:

"_Now, listen up, I've not got much time. You put on this scarf around your wrist, the one that I just slipped in your pocket. Don't lose it; it's a sign of rebellion. Word has got out about the true nature of the Games, and people are going to rebel, by the looks of it. The flame was to help set it off; I'm supporting the rebellion. Now, you need to win, because you're their mascot. Make sure you aren't the one to kill Po. He's a rebellion sign too, through your lovers act. Don't act obviously rebellious, but be as much of a rebel as you were before the games. Act normal. If you get caught, for goodness sake ally with Po. The rebellion is called the Dragon, if you hear around, it's codename. Remember, you're being watched __**at all times**__. _So, good-luck, and I jolly well hope you win!" As Nynso pushed back, he had a wide grin plastered across his face. So distracted by what he just said, however, Tigress almost completely lost the urge to punch his dumbass face. But she did give him a mild whack, to make it look normal, and stored the information in the back of her head. If Nynso couldn't freely tell her, that must mean they were being watched.

A door 'materialised' in the wall, which they quickly exited out of. Nearly time to go to the arena. Nearly time for death. One thought raced through Tigress' mind, as she walked, emotionless and strong-stanced:

_I need to be more careful._

**A/N: NEXT CHAPTER WILL BE GOING INTO ARENA, ONE AFTER START OF GAMES! And also, ZOMG OVER 50 REVIEWS! *Dies of happiness* So, wow. Thank you all so much, I love each and every one of you with all my heart, soul and mind. Quite short filler chapter, but still. I find Nynso very interesting to write, simply because he has such a varied personality... Anyway, yes, Kunku is a bird. Pheonix King's guess is the closest yet, but not quite right. **_**It's a night-hunter. **_**Also, you can guess as many times as you like. Now, most important part, RATE AND (ESPECIALLY) ****REVIEW!**** Went out and bought a load of Hunger Games related stuff today, I already had a Mockingjay pin... SO EXCITED ABOUT MOVIE! Anyway, please review, love you all, bye.**


	15. Chapter 15: Let the Games Begin!

Waiting was awful. Tigress stood, listening to the clear voice of the announcer, ringing out through the little black holes in the corners of the hallway (that never seemed to end), holes covered in a dark mesh, blaring out 'how long until the games begin'.

"Look at them. Bet you they still don't know the whole truth." Nynso quietly noted, as he watched outside a small hole, just enough to spot a queue of spectators for 'the fight of the century'. They all looked so happy about it; there was no way they could realise how much was at stake here.

"Please can all warriors report to their tube." At the end of the hallway (which finally didn't seem so far away), a tube appeared 'magically' from the ground.

Tigress didn't believe in magic.

"I-I..." Stuttering. Nervousness. A new experience for the hardened warrior, which she didn't enjoy.

"Look. You've got a good chance of winning this."

"Ki-killing?"

"You don't have to. Outlive them."

"A-a..."

"Hm?"

"M... make sure, no matter my condition, dead or alive, that Po survives. I don't care how, but make sure he is alive. And... please don't let him lose his light. H-he's my best friend... He can't lose that. P-please."

"I'll do all I can. I promise. But if you die for him, I will bring you back and I will slap you so hard... well, let's just hope it doesn't come to that..." Trying to cheer the, for once, mildly terrified warrior, Nynso grinned, before turning serious and quietly murmuring, "Pass me your scarf, quickly." Tigress followed his orders, a blank expression on her face so as to conceal her emotions from making her seem weak. Getting out a small, fanged tooth from his pocket then bringing out his own claw, he scratched 'Master Tigress' onto the tooth, before wrapping the rebellion-scarf around the tooth an a special pattern which made the 'Master Tigress' easily visible, as he put it, like a bracelet, around her wrist, just high enough so not to get in the way of fighting, but obvious to see. Giving a kung-fu bow, Nynso said in a loud and clear voice: "Good luck, Master Tigress."

Her voice having gone unnaturally high, almost breaking but not quite, she breathed out a brief "Thank you." before turning and walking, head held high, to the tube. Once inside, the transparent, glass doors shut around her. Time for the arena. Nynso gave her one last wave, as she the floor inside the tube suddenly began ascending.

Up, up, up.

Tigress looked around her. She was finally here. All that - was it a week, Tigress lost track of time - time ago, when she had no idea... And now she was here in the arena. She was one of the first to arrive in the arena, but nobody moved - they had been informed that if they did, they would come to a very untimely end.

Counting as the Masters arrived, it suddenly dawned upon Tigress it wasn't just the Dragon Warrior and the Furious Five - all the current masters of Kung Fu who were alive were here. Obviously, not including Shifu, and Mei-Ling, who everyone assumed was a Master of sorts by now. Some were in better shape than others, and Tigress knew she had a distinct advantage over many... but she couldn't bear the thought of killing.

_Focus, Tigress! 54 seconds left, observe the Arena, where to go next?_

In one direction, there was snowy mountains which seemed dangerous, but also offfered the advantage of height. Another terrain was rocky, full of rocks to hide behind - but also flat, offering not much of an advantage, and there was no water source. The third area Tigress saw seemed quite a good, normal forest at first... but look behind, and there was a gigantic volcano that could easily swamp the whole arena. A brief look behind her - _27 seconds _- showed a very tropicalised jungle, probably full of maneating creatures, but also food, and the most likely to have water and shelter, if she played it safe.

_19 seconds._

There was a decently sized backpack not too far from her, and not too close in to where the 'bloodbath' would be. Tigress also saw a bow, but decided against it - it was slap-bang in the center of all the weaponry.

_7 seconds._

Plan: Run, grab rucksack, run into jungle, work from there.

_5_

_4_

_3_

_2_

_1_

The overhead voice was barely heard by Tigress as she, along with everyone else, stepped of their plates. It was the same as only fully-formed thought she had, however:

"_Ladies and Gentlemen, let the Kung Fu Games begin!"_

**A/N: DAMN RIGHT THE GAMES STARTED YAY! So happy it finally started, really really happy, and ZOMG HAVE YOU SEEN THE HUNGER GAMES MOVIE? AMAZING! So very very happy after watching it with my fellow HG fans, we all came out super-excited, won't spoil it BUT IT'S AMAZING! And, competition over, because we have two correct 'Kunku's species' winners: **_**Phoenix King**_** and **_**im Richtofen kool 115**_**! Either leave a review with a description of your OC (can they be Kung Fu masters or evil villians, please? Apart from that you have control) as either a review or a PM. PLEASE REVIEW! Okay, thank you all so much, I love review a lot by the way (FFCrazy15 if you happen to read this, I think you're a fantastic author and it would make my week if you left a review, even if it said 'Hey saddo you want me to review? I'll kick you with Kung Fu!'.) Okay, thank you all my lovely reviewers, you are amazingly amazingly amazing people and I want to give you all big (virtual) hugs... ANYONE WHO REVIEWS GETS MONKEY'S ALMOND COOKIES AS A SPONSOR GIFT FROM ME! PLEASE REVIEW, THANK YOU AND BYEEEEEE!**


	16. Chapter 16

_You could easily kill them if you tried, Tigress. That bow, and your kung fu, and maybe a knife... you could take them down like flies..._

_And leave yourself no moral dignity, or mental health. Focus, Tigress. You have the bag you wanted... get as far away as possible. Do the one thing you've been doing your whole life, Tigress. Stay alive._

Panting, Tigress was drawn away from the little voice in her head by the very non-imaginary knife flying past her head. Just ducking enough in time, it only gave her a small cut, barely a graze against her knife impaled itself in a tree, which she yanked it back out of and ran deeper into the forest. Behind her, she could hear fighting, kicking, screaming... then bodies thumping, lifeless, to the ground. The feeling was like a waterfall of slime running up her back, torturously slow, crawling around her and wrapping her in it in a way that would almost suffocate her.

_Must. Keep. Running. _

_Can't. Look. Back._

Holding a knife in one hand, Tigress was running, running, running. The only thing she knew she could. Run, run, little Tiger; fly, little pheonix. The initial 'bloodbath' was not where she wanted to get involved, she needed to distance herself. Finding it quite awkward, with most masters knowing one another and them all seeing her, most likely, as the little Tigress she once was. Tigress was a fully grown woman now; not some cute, cuddly thing Shifu owned. But, having been trained from such a young age, there was still probably a small image of that when they saw her.

The deaths would be announced by cannons, which would also announce the bloodbath's end. After hours of endless running, to put a great distance between everyone else and herself, Tigress stopped and opened her rucksack to check the contents.

A black material, about 1 metre long and 1 metre wide, was her first find. After that, a loaf of bread. A long, thick , a transparent, probably-waterproof container.

She could work with it, but she needed water.

Water. A top priority. Staying alive. _The _top priorty. And Po, her other top priority.

Packing away her stuff, Tigress observed the knife someone had chucked in her head's general direction, that she had been able to use to her advantage. Quite a sharp, chunky blade, with a good grip. Slowly, Tigress dragged her claw (that she had gotten out to help her move along the ground more easily and with better grip - fighting with claws was the most dishonourable thing Tigress could think of) along the metal blade of the knife, gently twisting it, admiring how it glinted in the harsh sunlight.

Time to get moving. Step 1: Find water.

Looking around, there was no obvious source of water, or any liquid. A squirrel, that was so _changed _as to not be a person, but more of an insect (Tigress had been told they were called 'muttations'. She couldn't work out why anyone would willingly become an insect creature to be used as food for contestants... Tigress wouldn't put it below the people, the _evil _she'd seen at the palace she, along with everyone else, had been hidden away with, to have forced people to be food. Tigress lived with these dark thoughts...), more of something to be food, scuttled past. It looked a few years old, like it was used to this odd jungle envirom-...

A squirrel. Alive for a few years. In here. Adapted. Alive.

Following the squirell eagerly, Tigress, whilst making sure to be hidden, followed the squirrel to water.

TKFG

Hydrated and with a full container of (luckily) safe, drinkable water, Tigress contentedly made her way to a hiding area, full of trees, about 4 miles away - a safe distance. Once there, Tigress found two tall, opposite trees. Using her immaculate Kung Fu skills, she was able to, with a bit of a struggle, get herself up a high tree. After she was up, to make it harder for her to be caught, she leapt from a few trees until she was in a tree that was easy to get down, but nearly impossible to climb up unless you used another, longer route. By then, you would either be dead, or Tigress would've escaped. Or kicked your ass out of the tree.

Whilst tying herself into the tree for the night, and nibbling a bit of the end of her bread loaf, the cannons began sounding.

Bang

Bang

Bang

Bang

Bang

Bang

Six dead. That could've been her and the Furious Five. It wasn't her - Tigress knew she was alive. And, desparingly, she help onto the hope eveyone else was too...

TKFG

It was going dark, almost time for the deaths to be shown, when the seventh cannon broke her mild slumber. Jolting, if not for the rope, she would've fell. Tigress couldn't bear to think who must've been lost now.

Because she'd know now. The Chinese anthem was played, through a possible system that made it seem as though it eruped from the earth. In the sky, a screen was lit up, reading 'The Fallen'.

Time to discover the dead.

Master Chao.

Master Eagle.

One of Grand Twin Weasels.

Master Dog.

Master Lepoard.

Master Frog.

But it was the final one that made Tigress' breath get caught in her throat. This that made her emit a quiet cry of horror. This that nearly made her fall out of the tree in shock.

Sweet, funny, dorky, loveable...

Master Crane was dead.

**A/N: DOOOOOON'T KILL MEEEEEEE! I'm so, so, SO sorry, I can't believe I just did that, but Master Crane will get the respect he deserves. I...I...**

**If you don't review, I'm not sure how I'll go on. Even if you are sending me a death threat now. PLEASE REVIEW! PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE IT MAKES EVERYTHING SO WORTH IT! Also, Pain, if you know who I mean, will come in later in the story. Probably not right now. I can't wait to write him. ;) **

**Please review. Thank you. Good night.**


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

_No. That... that can't be possible. No. No..._

_If I pretend it's not real, will everything go back to normal? __**Not logical.**_

_Why wasn't I there? __**Logic**_

_Now what? __**I don't know...**_

Distraught over Crane's untimely death, Tigress sat up a tree, listening to the bird's song.

Birds.

Crane.

..How everything seemed so peaceful.

Peaceful.

Crane.

Everything reminded her of him... Crane was the member of the Furious Five she had known for the longest. He had been there about a year after her, and was like an older brother. Crane was the one who would always be the funniest, not intentionally, in heart-to-heart situations (although Tigress had only had two, both with a certain Panda, and Mantis' jokes just weren't funny). However, she didn't know that much about his thoughts. After all, now she'd never know what his favourite colour was. Or why he always wore that hat. Or did he love Mei-Ling, as speculated by Viper, Mantis, Monkey and Po.

Love was such a difficult thing to know, but it was such a _simple _chemistry. Shouldn't it be easy? The deatils weren't hard to understand...

Crane needed avenging. Tigress knew it.

Tigress was going to win this, for Crane. And for all those who have died. And for all who will.

Slowly, she brought out her claw and carved, in as delicate a handwriting as she could manage, Crane's name into the tree beside her. Deep enough so it would be there, forever. Angling herself so everyone could see it, Tigress decided it would be safer for her to move tree. She'd been there for a while, better to lose traces early. So, as she got all her temporary belongings into the rucksack, she left one final sign of respect to Crane. On her knees, she bowed down on her knees to Crane, and touched three fingers to his name.

Love.

Happiness.

Peace.

Remembering it from her orphanage, when a maid had died of old age, and they saluted her by placing three fingers on her name to symbolise it.

"Goodbye, Master Crane. Rest in Peace." Nodding at his name, she leapt off, and started to run around the forest. Feeling a few tears spill from her face, whether due to speed or emotions, she dried them, steeled herself, and ran onwards, not really paying too much attention to her surroundings. In the general direction away from the Arena's centre, she was running, as well as along. It was all too calm...

SMASH! Tigress felt herself colliding with someone, and them both falling to the floor. Not giving whoever it was time to react, she scrambled up a tree, quickly grabbing her knife as she did.

"Who are you?" Yelling down to the figure, before she looked at it properly.

"I saw him die. Crane."

Recognzing the voice, but not quite able to place it, probably due to her head trauma, Tigress replied , "Reveal yourself!"

"Tigress?" Suddenly, the voice clicked into place, and it wasn't a threat. Suprised she hadn't realised it earlier, a shocked Tigress called down:

"Viper? Is that you?"

**A/N: Sorry I haven't been updating, life and all that rubbish. I will be on holiday next week, and I doubt I will be able to update, but DO NOT FEAR (!), I will try my very best to write up a few chapters whilst there and supply you with more when I get back. So don't expect much for a week or so, and I'm unsure if I'll update tommorow. Maybe. OKAY AS LONG AS YOU RATE AND REVIEW YOU DON'T HAVE TO BOTHER WITH THE NEXT BIT! Also, in reply to a PM saying my chapters are too short: I prefer to have my chapters in that style, it works better for me updating, and I despise not finishing a chapter. Done it once, and I really hated it. As I am very busy, I don't have time for long chapters, so I try and give more often chapters, even if they're short, and that basically makes a week's story. Also, I think that short chapters aren't generally any worse than long chapters. Depending on the author, longer chapters may work, or shorter ones. I prefer short, sharp ones. That doesn't make my work any worse than someone who spends a million years typing out a chapter (okay, mildly overexxagerated there). Hope that satisfies. And to all of you wanting Mantis dead: YOU HEARTLESS PEOPLE! Lol, just joking, and I am thinking about who to kill next. How long until the chapter I based this all around comes up... ;) Rate and review please, and OMG OVER 70 REVIEWS! Thank you! Now, I'm gonna stop because you are all getting bored, so R and R, and bye!**


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

"Tigress!" The cry escaped the snake, as Tigress leapt back down from the tree she was in, although still keeping her knife to hand for safety. After all, Viper could still kill her and there would be nobody blaming her.

Survival of the fittest, smartest, and best-equipped.

"Viper? Are you alright?"

"Partly..."

"What?" Coming up to her friend, Tigress began to inspect her.

"I got caught by a poisoned dart when getting away. I tied up around that area with a stick to stop the poison spreading, but it makes movement an awful lot harder." Using her head, Viper indicated to the purpley-yellow area wrapped in green, newly-sprouted branches.

"Hasn't anyone sent you medical supplies for that?"

"Sending stuff?" Viper looked suprised, "Have you got anything?"

"No. I haven't needed anything." Kneeling down to Viper's height, she picked her up safely, and in a way that it wouldn't hurt her through her poisoned area. "Let's get you up somewhere safer. The poison, now it's flow has been prevented, won't kill you, but someone finding you probably will. I won't, though. I can swear an oath that I won't hurt you now." Nodding, Viper relaxed from the tense state she was in a few seconds earlier, as Tigress found a different tree and began climbing up. Silently, she thanked her prep team for having a lot of her fur removed - though it might make her slightly colder, it made her light enough to climb up trees and not make it crack from her weight. Her and Viper together were just about the limit, but a sturdy enough branch which was high up was eventually found by the South China Tiger. Viper, being a snake adapted to living in trees through evolution, wrapped herself around a branch and waited for Tigress, who had gone back down to find anything to treat Viper's poisioning with. After a while, she arrived at the conclusion they'd just have to keep it tied up to keep it from infecting anything, and Viper would have to live with it until the games ended.

The psycho games, where any previous bonds made, however strong, break instantly as everyone vies for last one standing. The only thought that kept Tigress hanging onto sanity, was the possibility of keeping Po alive... and Viper... and the rest of the Five who still lived (R.I.P. Crane, who died because he had no choice and, Tigress knew in her heart, better than the most of us). Her life wasn't as important as the others, she would easily sacrifice herself for them.

Whilst caught up in her mind raging session, she almost missed the black animal rush by about 10 metres away from where she stood. He wore a darkly coloured hoodie, and almost camoflauged in. But, with her sharp tiger vision, Tigress spotted it. Silently, she followed him like prey - he wasn't recognizable as a Master, and Tigress knew all of the Masters through neverending study. They mentioned villians...

Stalking him wasn't an easy task - he was completely unpredicatble, and walked off in random directions, occasionally muttering. Paying more attention, Tigress was able to work out some words:

"That big knife is pretty - _no it isn't_ - why did I grab that pack of small knives instead - _because then you have more supply, especially if you lost that one knife _- but... - _shut up and move..._"

He was... having a conversation with himself. About knives.

And Tigress had thought Po was mad.

"Oh, honey, I know you're there!" Flipping round to face Tigress, a black panther, around her age, looked at her, 3 knives in hand and aimed at her brain, throat and heart.

Nice.

"What do you _want?_" Hissing, Tigress gave the most terrfying glare she could muster - which really was quite frightening.

"Oh, I want you dead, but I want to make you **suffer**_ -I want her dead quick, one eliminated _- no, she would be fun to play with - _oh, shut up _- you shut up - _I'm the intelligent one here _- and I'm me!..." Tigress really wasn't sure how to react, at all.

"Tell me your name." She growled out, interrupting his argument with himself.

"Pain." Leaving a beat for empasis (Tigress couldn't fathom why anyone would call their child such an evil name), he continued "Look, I'm not going to kill you now, so skip off, run home little Tiger," Louder she growled, but did not attempt to make a move, "But be prepared, 'cause big boy Pain will be back to hurt you soon!" The lighthearted phrase contrasted with his deeply dark look, before he went all high and happy again, waving at her, adding a "Toodles!" on the end, and racing off merrily. Suddenly, Tigress realised her timing, and how Viper would be worried if she stayed out for any longer, so, with one last menacing gaze in Pain's direction, she ran off back to their tree.

**a/n: PLEASE REVIEW! Thank you, off on holiday tommorow, so won't be updated for a while. Pain has been introduced, the other OC will come in a later. Probably a bit rubbish, writing quite late, so... Review, and TOODLES!**


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

Late at night, Viper and Tigress lay across their residing tree, gazing at the stars above. Stars to guide people to safety, to light up the night, in a way only natural beauty could.

Crimson blood and starry white don't go together well, do they?

There had been no cannons that day... Only one - a cannon, singular, not plural. Logic.

"_I just answered it logically. That's the only way anyone gets anywhere; through logic."_

Flashing back to the trip here, Tigress remembered how naive they were back then - before anything had truly been revealed. And how Po and her relationship... so much less awkward. After all, now he was meant to pose as a long-lost lover... where that left her she did not know.

"Tigress?"

"Wha-Yeah, Viper?"

"What are you thinking about?"

Knowing she was being watched, Tigress carefully worded her response, "The Dragon Warrior..."

"What about him?" To the Gods, Viper really couldn't have been more annoying!

"Um..."

"Your new-found _lurve?_" Grinning at her despite the likely pain in her tail, Tigress was **so **tempted to push the poisoned snake out of the tree... before Viper's utterly fantastic plan hit her.

Play on the lovers angle for support, of course! Knowing she had to put on a convincing performance of love, Tigress quickly had a rush of all her memories, trying to remember any times she had felt any sort of love in... in the romantic way, ever.

Ah. Only coming up with two instances, she tried to remember the emotions she felt, despite the amount of repel she found at her... her _crush _on Master Shifu... he was her _Dad_! There was not much she could collect, emotionally-wise, from that disturbing experience, so she moved on to her other.

Oh heck. The hugs. Damn, Tigress, calm down... No! Wait! If she blushed, wouldn't it look more realistic? Gah, emotional rubbish. How did she feel? Attracted to him? Mildly... Understanding, having been in a simillar situation? Yes, but that wasn't the _romantic _aspect of it. What drew her to him, just at that point, more than every other time, both after and before, when they were enemies, best friends, anything?

Him. Who he was. His personality. His ability to see everything in the best way possible. His Po-ness. Nothing to do with outer appearance, it was his inner appearance that drew her back then. She didn't think she loved him now, though. Sure, a friendly love, a family love, but not desiring him, or anything like that... Honestly, the rumours about them! The stories! They were just best friends! Po knew that, didn't he? There was no actual future in it. She didn't _feel _anything for the Panda, did she?

What scared Tigress was the fact that she couldn't tell anymore if Po's feelings were just the way to attract support they had once been, or maybe real love. Always assuming it was a fake method of attention-seeking, but not wanting to upset Po's feelings on the small off-chhance it was all true, Tigress made the decsion, right then, to follow through with the lies and pretend - key word _pretend _- to be in love with Po.

"Oh... Well..." Tigress gave off her best in-love shy smile, which _really _didn't suit her at all. Put it down to love changing you.

Being quite blunt with her questions, Viper asked, "Are you in love with him?"

Not really wanting to respond from her heart, but instead using her head and logic, she gave the cheesiest grin she could manage without throwing up, looked at her paws and the rope that tied them into the tree, then replied in a sickly sweet voice, "Y-yes..."

"I _knew _it!" Nearly falling out of the tree, the female snake plastered the widest smile she could on her face, before encouraging the Tiger on, with a simple "Well?"

"I... I knew it at first... with the hug. I just suddenly felt... a... a connection with him. Then I knew I loved him. I couldn't tell him, because... I didn't want to scare him with the... limitless love I feel. But now... I love him even more because I know he loves me..." Not the best love speech ever.

"If he was here now, what would you say to him?" Viper helped her out of the murky waters of an awkward silence she cetainly couldn't break.

"I'd... I'd kisss him." Silence. She continued. "Then, I'd tell him I love him. And that I'd never let him go now. Because... we were meant for each other."

"Wow." Viper murmured. "That's beautiful, like a fairytale. Fairytale, starcrossed Kung Fu lovers. Yeah, that sounds nice. The Kung Fu lovers." Ending the brief conversation, whilst still recalling the fact that they were always being watched, Viper nudged Tigress again and whispered, "I'm tired."

"Yeah. Me too." Suddenly feeling all the fatigue dawn upon her, from barely sleeping the night previous and fretting for all her friends' lives, Tigress stared up at the night sky and relaxed.

Peacefully, the friends lay alongside the night, watching nature and the stars interact. Suddenly, a quiet melody could be heard. Tigress turned her head to Viper, who was singing to the birds:

"I will always watch over you,

I will always be there.

I will never abandon you,

Even when we are both scared." Recognzing the tune as a childhood melody both knew from countless nights of singing each other to sleep through nightmares, Tigress joined in to make a sweet melody:

"Through the dark and through the light,

Through the day and through the night,

When the rest of the world turn their backs,

I will always care." As the birds began to whistle the tune around, Tigress whispered, "You still remember that?"

"Yes. I'll always remember that."

"Same." Almost as if she were talking to the night, Tigress murmured, "I could never kill you, you know."

"Me neither." Viper's instant reply almost comforted Tigress.

"But that's our problem. Our final problem. Because only one of us can live, and the rest will die." With that grim thought in their heads, they both succumbed to an uncomftorable sleep.

**a/n: I'M BACK! Please Rate and Review, or I'll be very, very upset, and won't give you chapter 20, which is readily-written and waiting to be UNLEASHED and you're gonna love it! And, yes, I have read all the reviews and taken them into account. Thank you - hoping so desperately to reach the big 1-0-0!**


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

Viper was hurting. So much. She wished it would be easier with death, except she couldn't die. Not just yet - she was on a mission. It wasn't a mission for herself, it was for China. She knew it had to be completed or everyone would die.

"_Now listen up. Don't cry, __**don't you dare cry!**__" Her mentor, a siamese dragon, looked eerily coldly at her. "There is only one survivor of these games. And a spy has found out tht if we can't stop them, these games will go on forever, each year using children form around China, if we don't stop it now. So there is a rebellion. It's secret, at the moment, but China is raising an army against this 'mysterious figure's' army." Viper, shocked, stared blankly at her mentor, "Viper? Are you listening and taking this in? You have to do it, for the sake of all these children!" Quickly, Viper nodded, as the mentor continued, "Now, you're probably wondering what part you have to play in all of this. You are going to be the spark to ignite the rebellion's flame. Now, before I continue and tell you what you must do, I'm so sorry. Now," He continued after a brief pause, "All of China completely adore the Furious Five and the Dragon Warrior. Having the Masters fight to the death is bad in their eyes, yes, but having the Furious Five and the Dragon Warrior fight to the death with them... that would devastate them. So hard that __**they will fight back!**__ But they need a good excuse. So, to start off the chain that leads up to it, Crane will die in the initial bloodbath. Again, I'm sorry. Crane already knows this. I'm so sorry." _

_Viper could only breathe out, "Oh, Crane, no..." before her Mentor continued: _

"_That will probably bring about a pretty big outrage, as everyone say Crane as the nice, friendly one... and how friendly ones always die first, sadly. Soon after, Masters Mantis and Monkey will die, so it is only you, the Dragon Warrior, and Master Tigress left. The 'starcrossed lovers' will come into play then - you have to make sure neither see each other until then. But make sure both are alive. On around the fifth, sixth day, when a fair few are dead, and most of the survivors are the strongest, fittest Masters, you will be with Tigress, and lead her to Po. Hopefully, they will take the iniative and be lovers, even if it fake."_

"_So they don't know about all this?" Suprised, Viper looked for an answer._

"_No. It wouldn't be convincing enough. Anyway, that, and I'm so awfully sorry about this, I truly am, is when you will die."_

"_Die." Suddenly going extremely pale under her scales, Viper could only manage a squeak._

"_Yes. Make sure Tigress is there, preferably without Po. Make a diversion, then, no offence, get yourself in a position where you will die tragically. I must sound like the evillest creature to grace this earth, but the effect of you dying on Tigress will shake her right to her core, even if she seems emotionless. It will set up an outrage among China, stronger than anything. The Games will end, and Tigress will win."_

"_How do you know that?" Trying not to comprehend her own death, she tried to learn more about this rebellion in the games._

"_You know Tigress well. Po may be the Dragon Warrior, but she is the only one capable of holding a rebellion upon her shoulders. Besides, if her 'one and only love' dies, she can play that card and has a very good chance of convincing China to go into rebellion. If we go into rebellion, there's the chance we will win, and this army will be defeated, and the Games will go no further than this one, terrible year. Now, this was a lot for you to take in, both mentally and emotionally. Are you alright?"_

"_Y-yes." In a state of shock, but still able to remember anything, she nodded to prove she had been listening and paying attention._

"_Do you understand?"_

"_Yes."_

"_Will you be going ahead with it?"_

"_Only if you make a way for Po to get out alive, too. Even if they aren't lovers, Tigress will be far too broken if you kill him. They're each other's soulmate. You can't have Tigress and not Po. And I won't help if both of them aren't there."_

"_We have a Gamemaker on our side. There's a hopeful chance we could convnce him, later on in the games, to change the rules. Maybe, just maybe, we can get them both out alive..." _

"_I'll do it if you promise you can get them both out alive."_

_It took a day before Viper's mentor came back to her on that: "We've managed to get the rules change in for them. Now, you need to follow up with your side of the bargain..."_

_This was it for Viper then. She was signing her own death warrant. _

_But she was signing her own death warrant so the children of China would live. And, in her heart, Viper would do that in a blink of her eye. So, when she replied, her words were:_

"_Yes. I'll do it, for China. So the rebellion wins. Not for you, mind. For the children. For China." Shakily, she slithered off on a high, hoping that, after her death, she would be remembered well._

Tigress jumped down off the tree. It was a decent day, and though Viper was in pain, they still needed a source of water, which Tigress was off to find. Once Viper knew Tigress was gone for a bit, she made her move. She had, at most, 3 hours.

Time to find Po.

**a/n: HERE IT IS! *cue dramatic music* A TWIST! If you want more, you know the way... REVIEW! I'll put up the next chapter after 5 reviews, on the evening of that day, so encourage your friends, your enemies, the postman, the librarian, the shop-owners, your favourite FF authors, your least favourite FF authors, anyone and EVERYONE to review! Okay, thank you, and good night!**


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21

Po was hungry. This wouldn't usually have been a suprise to anyone, but this was serious. He was starving. To death.

Somehow, that doesn't seem jokey anymore.

He knew he needed food, within the next day or so. Oh, so thirsty... He could pass out from dehydration at any time. It was, what, day 3 in the arena. He wasn't cold, due to the fat on his body. He hadn't any major injuries, but a few cuts. He hadn't managed to get anything from the cornucopia, no rucksack with supplies, no weaponry apart from the sharp stone he'd managed to find the day before. If anyone found him, there was nowhere to hide, nothing to defend himself with apart from a stone and his kung-fu, which probably wasn't much use considering everyone was a kung-fu master here.

He made the desicision to get as far away from everyone as possible, see if there was anything at the end of the arena for him to use. Keep away from everyone - maybe, when they died, it would hurt less.

It didn't. When he found out Crane was dead, Po broke down and cried for an hour.

Crane was the first one to properly accept him. Crane was like his older brother, always watching over his mistakes. Crane...

Last night, no-one important died. Earlier this morning, one, two, three cannons went off. Three more dead.

"Let's hope it's not one of us..." The desperate whisper escaped his lips.

Maybe someone would feel sorry for him, and send him some form of support. Po would eat anything. He was desperate.

Slumping down in resignation, Po could only hope no-one would find him and kill him whilst he slept.

"Beep...

Beep...

Beep..." Lifting his head to look towards the sound, he spotted a silver parachute floating in his general direction.

Support! Yes! Awesome!

Pushing himself up in a new wave of adrenaline, he ran and grabbed it from the freefall. The beeping stopped as he pulled off the lid and looked at the content.

Firstly, a note from his mentor, who looked eerly like Shifu:

'Remember who you care about, who you love. Keep fighting, because there will be a point, and_ I can't keep supplying you like this._' Unsure of what was being implied, Po kept the note and looked back into the parachute, screwing off a second lid. He was so close to falling to his knees and thanking every god in turn.

Soup. Oh yeah!

Quickly, he started to devour it, and it was gone before anyone could blink. His hunger and thirst had been temporarily quenched, though he knew it wouldn't last long.

He also knew, nearby, there wouldcbe somewhere he could find supplies.

Po only hoped it wasn't too far.

* * *

><p>The art of going unnoticed was easy for Viper when it involved green trees. The markings on her were evolved for this kind of activity - hunting prey. Though she was far too moralised to even <em>think <em>about killing anyone on the good side of everything, especially Po. So, as she stalked the Panda along, she tried to make it look as if she was innocently going long, having not seen Po and their paths having only accidentally crossed.

She was a good actress, having fooled many enemies before not only with her beauty but with her convincing skills also. Hopefully, much of China wouldn't know she had spotted Po and known of his presence ages before. Sneaking little glances at him, Viper assesed his condition. He looked hungry, had some mini-cuts around his body, wore the same clothing (though no equipment or rucksacks) as all the other warriors in these... games. Overall, he looked not terrible, but not great. Tigress was doing much better, Viper realised, and was tempted to break off the alliance with her to help Po, but then noted that it would make more sense for this 'rebellion' if she stayed with Tigress. Mantis and Monkey needed to be gone so there was more fuel to burn the rebellion's flame brighter when she... died.

Not to sound sadistic or anything.

A silver parachute suddenly brought her out of her thoughts, as it descended towards Po. He grabbed itand ripped off the lid in his haste, slowly bringing out a note with a confused look on his face. Risking being caught, Viper slid down to read it's message.

'Remember who you care about, who you love. Keep fighting, because there will be a point, and_ I can't keep supplying you like this._' Obviously it made sense to Viper, who had forknowlege, but Po didn't understand at that point in time, with no Tigress nearby, and quickly dismissed it as inhaled his soup. Whilst he was eating, Viper merged back into the trees, a faint grin on her face. Knowing everyone had probably seen her, she gave a knowing wink in no direction exactly, to look as if she knew what she was doing to hunt and had formulated a secret plan, before sliding back to her alliance with Tigress, and her 'supposed' resting tree.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: So, I spent a lot of todays in a wood, greatly annoying my family and confusing my dogs, but I am now able to vividly picture this scene. I hope you all enjoy it, I am so happy to have gotted, what, 7 reviews for the last chapter.. PLEASE REVIEW TO GET ME TO 100 IT WOULD MAKE ALL THIS WORTHWHILE! REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW! Also, I was checking my traffic stats, and I was totally blown away: **_**142 Hits and 118 Visitors for Chapter 20!**_** I was honestly close to screaming and going hysterical... THANKYOUALLILOVEYOUALLSOMUCH! Please review to make it 100 reviews, I will cry (out of happiness) when that happens and post up another chapter. Okay, slightly insane, but g'night!**


	22. Chapter 22: I'M BACK!

Chapter 22

"Viper?"

"Yeah, Tigress?"

"They're dead."

"I know." A cold silence overcame the two females, as they lay once more in the tree. Three days were over.

Mantis and Monkey had died today.

Neither lady could do or say much; they were restricted to staring out at the darkness. There was nothing more to say.

It was a bittersweet death - you couldn't have Mantis without Monkey, nor Monkey without Mantis. Inseperable bond of friendship. However disturbing and perveted Mantis could've been, or however insane and annoying Monkey could be, neither deserved to die.

It was all Viper could do to repeat her special mantra: all for a good cause, all for a good cause...

It didn't stop the pain the losses had provided her with. Knowing it was destined to happen almost made it worse - knowing everything was going to plan, knowing she would have to die.

Tigress gazed down at her snake friend. The emotionless walls of her shell she hid beneath were being cracked and destroyed, one by one. Soon she'd have nothing left to hide behind. Soon it wouldn't be Tigress, the hardcore, emotionless warrior. It would just be Tigress. Tigress vs The World.

If only she could build walls around her faster than they were being broken down. Wouldn't it be easier?

Changing her line of vision to down at her paws, Tigress' thoughts wandered to her two, newly-deceased friends.

Mantis.

The world's most aggravating bug? Recalling the many times she'd, in a temper, trapped him under a vase and left him there, Tigress knew that was a pretty accurate description of one side of him.

But the other side was a courageous, fast, and strong warrior, who, against the odds of his size, fought alongside the best warriors in China. Considering his size comparison, he was probably the most powerful of all of them, even Tigress, compared to his body size.

Monkey.

Funny and friendly, but a bit annoying as well? Yes, that was a good description of his personality. He was unique though. Nobody seemed to notice, but he was the only one who used a weapon when fighting.

It's amazing what the untrained eye misses. But Monkey always remembered it.

He was also the most approachable of the five, and the funniest. In time, people will probably forget that. People never remember the people who were always there, only the ones who weren't.

Tigress made a mental vow, right then in that tree, never to forget Mantis or Monkey, what they were like, who they were. Crane too. They would not be forgotten.

"Tigress?" The whisper broke the uncomftorable silence.

"Yes, Viper?"

"You, me and Po are the only ones left. What about Po?" Viper had been making regular checks on Po when Tigress was out hunting, but of course she didn't tell the Tiger herself about these.

"Po... He's not going to die."

"How do you know that?"

"I'm not going to let him." A new wave of emotion overcame them, as another realisation dawned.

Half of 'the AWESOME Furious 5 and the Dragon Warrior (!)' group were dead. Half were dead.

They were still alive.

Feeling another layer of her protective wall being chipped away, she looked back at the night sky.

She didn't notice the silent tears dripping down her face.

_I remember tears streaming down your face_

_When I said I'll never let you go_

_When all those shadows almost killed your light_

_I remember you said "Don't leave me here alone,"_

_But all that's dead and gone and passed tonight..._

_Just close your eyes_

_The sun is going down_

_You'll be alright_

_No-one can hurt you now_

_Come morning light_

_You and I'll be safe and sound..._

**a/n: I HAVE RETURNED! *Cue grand music!* Lol, sorry for break, had a busy week of meetings with friends, then this week - back to school! *Cries* Ah, it hasn't been that bad, really. And another thing... OVER 100 REVIEWS! HELL YEAH! Thank you ALL so much, love you all, THANK YOU! (I don't own the song at the end, it's Safe and Sound by Taylor Swift if you didn't know. Fantastic song, deffo worth checking out) Oh, and I'm sorry for killing Monkey and Mantis, but I gave you forknowlege. Sadly, it was destined to happen... NEXT CHAPTER WILL BE LOTS OF ACTION! STAY TUNED! Okay...**

**PLEASE REVIEW!**

**GOODNIGHT!**


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23

The sunrise broke through the leaves, in a scattered light. You could see light patched around, but there were also many dark patches as well.

A reflection of life itself.

Po lay asleep under the cover of a rather large bush. He had hidden near a stream he'd found the previous day from searching. His food supply had dwindled to nibbling on leaves, and eating parts of the inner tree - which, Po had been told, was edible.

Maybe it would've payed off to spend a bit more time in the edible plants station.

His slumber was broken when he heard a branch cracking nearby.

Very nearby.

Trying to be as quiet as he could, which really wasn't going to be much help however, he lifted himself out of his sleeping position, got up, then attempted to find an exit that wouldn't lead straight into the path of this new possible enemy. But there was only one way out. The way that lead right into this stranger's path.

The unnappealing choice came up: stay in here and if spotted definitely would be killed, or get out and if spotted possible chance of escape.

Po liked life. So that's why, as silently as possible, he crept out of the bush he hid in, before running away from the predator, like his life depended on it.

That's an understatement. His life _did _depend on it.

"Can I get the fat panda?-_one more dead, yes, I guess_-for once we agree?-_don't get so excited, I still hate your guts_-but they're your guts as well...-_it's a figure of speech_ _moron!_" Pain was stalking his prey, Po Ping, with a knife in each hand and an ultimate destination for them in mind.

"Po Ping, come to daddy!-_Damn you, why the hell are you so camp?_-I thought you were the camp side of me-_I'm the side with the slightest bit of intelligence-_Oh come on, I'm not an idiot-_debatable..." _Po would've been thinking about how wierd it was for someone to be yelling an argument, with himself, in the middle of the forest, if he wasn't more concerned about his safety. Not concerned about the noise his feet were making, he kept running, running, running, as fast as he could.

Pain was following, closing the gap quickly.

Turning to face his chaser, Po discovered this fact quickly.

Trying to make his moves a bit less predictable, Po ran in different directions. At first, Pain was slowed down a bit, but then he too caught on, and they were back to the game of cat-and-mouse (or in their case, panther and panda).

TKFG

Tigress and Viper were making their was through the forest now, knowing they couldn't stay in one area for too long without risking being caught. Some of the time, Tigress was carrying Viper, but mostly they both made their own methods of transport to wherever they were to stay next. After about four hours walking, a decent tree arrived in their pathway. Deciding to accomodate that tree, Tigress hauled Viper over her shoulder and began to climb. There were no signs of life around the area they were at presently. Once on a high branch, Tigress checked in her rucksack to see what supplies remained.

A half-eaten loaf of partly-stale bread. Frankly, neither Tigress nor Viper cared about how stale it was, it was food and that was all that counted. Ripping off half of what remained, Tigress and Viper shared a small meal. They had been rationing the bread - this was the first thing they'd eaten all day, and they'd had nothing last night.

The bread wouldn't last them much longer on just it alone, though.

"I'm going to hunt for some smaller animals, set out some traps. Stay up there on guard." Viper started to coil herself around the tree, before replying,

"'kay. I'll yell if someone comes."

"Alright then." Tigress began to swing back down the tree, whilst Viper finished coiling herself around a steady branch. Keeping a good eye on her surroundings, Viper allowed her mind to remind her of the rebellion's plans.

Crane was dead.

Mantis was dead.

Monkey was dead.

She was next, but she needed to get Po and Tigress to find one another before... Gulping, Viper left that thought without an end. Making the mental descision to wait one more day to see if Po arrived of his own will before forcing Po and Tigress together, Viper let her mind rest as she gazed, almost peaceful, at the forest that had become her home and deathbed and a slaughter over the past few days.

TKFG

On guard. Always on guard. You never know when someone will strike.

Keep looking. Make sure you have seen everything, twice.

Observe the details. The next area may be a carbon copy bar the smallest details.

Remember. People are relying on your return.

It was quiet, and the area looked untouched. Maybe no-one had made it this far out of the forest yet. Maybe she was near to the end of the arena.

Maybe she, and Viper, and maybe Po too, could escape.

But then, Tigress had no doubt, there would be some excuse made up about it being illegal, and them defying the law. Then China would burn.

No. She needed to obey them by doing what they said... but it didn't mean she couldn't have any form of rebellion in the arena (**a/n: See ch14, Tigress has a bit of knowlege about the rebellion, not as much as Viper though)**. Walking forwards, Tigress scanned the area.

A wind blew the top of some trees, like blowing the skin of milk, not making much effect bar noise to those nearby. A harsher wind immediately followed, making Tigress jump slightly. Her eyes looked up quickly, to see if there were any man-eating birds following her.

That's when she started hearing the rumble. Only slowly at first, like someone who hadn't eaten in a while and was hungry (or just Po in general), which gradually increased in strength, until the ground started to tremor.

Not working out what was wrong, Tigress gave up any plans of finding food, and began to run back to the tree where she and Viper had taken up residence. She felt like she was on an energy rush, only this was on pure fear. The ground doesn't normally shake, or was she missing something... Either way, Tigress' central thought was 'Find Viper. Make sure she's safe. Run. Get away.'

In the rush of adrenaline she was feeling, she almost missed the cry in the distance:

"TIGRESS! TIGRESS! HELP!" It was the unmistakeable tone of her snake friend, laced with fear and desperation.

"VIPER!" Grabbing her knife for the worst circumstances, Tigress raced even faster towards the voice, "I'M COMING! VIPER!"

"Ti-" Then suddenly, a bloodcurling scream, "HEEELLLLP!"

"VIPER!" Screaming in fear for her friend, Tigress leapt across the forest, until she spotted it, making her horrified outcry escape her lips.

The tree they were in, which Viper was stuck in.

It was almost like a cartoon, really. Comic timing, how it went just so slowly, but just quick enough so that Tigress wouldn't be able to make it in time to save her.

The tree slowly fell to one side. There was no hope. Viper would be crushed.

Not content to sit and watch the even unfold before her, a terrified Tigress kept going, going, going towards the trees. She payed no attention to the blood rushing in her ears, the tears falling from her eyes, the branches ripping off fur and skin.

"NO!" It was too late. The tree was down. Devastated at the loss of her friend, she sped down to the branch Viper was stuck on, before making her way down to try and find her snake-friend's body under the tree. The horrible fear that Viper had been crushed beyond help was edging at the edge of her mind, not leaving her. The vivid imagery... Wishing she could brush it away, Tigress continued her search.

When she got a little bit confused and suspicious was when there was seemingly no body, nor any of Viper's 'remains'...

"Tigress!" Po was running towards her, running towards her, and that was impossible, and that couldn't be real, and she must've been hallucinating, because Viper was held in one hand, and that was impossible, because Viper was dead, Viper was dead...

Tigress focused on her breath. That was real, wasn't it? She was still alive, wasn't she? Her vision became alike to murky waters, as did her hearing.

"Tigress, you-"

In, out. She was still breathing, she was pretty sure of that, but Tigress wasn't sure what was real and what wasn't, because that was impossible...

"Duck!"

"She has ... Knife!"

"Give ... Knife!"

"Tigress! Duck!" Po was in her face now, right in her line of vision, grabbing her only weapon, and she barely felt the knock to her head from the edge of a blade, because that was impossible, that was impossible, she's seen Viper die, she hear'd Viper die, was this all a sick joke?

Leaving herself no time to contemplate the answer, Tigress fell to her knees and blacked out.

**a/n: Oooh, cliffhanger! Thank you to my reviewers, I love you all dearly, you make this worth writing, so please REVIEW! And RATE! And get EVERYONE to review! Okay, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Been listening a lot to Abraham's daughter today, what a beautiful song, it seems to describe Tigress from this story v. well to me, I think. Also, it was quite cute, I sang my 3-month old baby brother to sleep with Safe and Sound! *Has proud bigger sibling moment* Okay, lol, apart from that, R and R, and STAY TUNED!**


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 24

"She looks so much more peaceful in sleep..." Viper and Po were guarding their feline friend, having found a bush to reside in briefly. Mainly, they all stayed silent, as someone could hear them and then they'd be _really _screwed - neither were in a position to go anywhere.

**Flashback**

_Pain stood behind as Tigress, almost comically, fell to the ground. There was a gash wound where the jagged knife had caught her skin, but Pain hadn't managed to inflict any deep wounds thankfully. _

_Still, that wasn't going to make his act forgivable. Po was rarely angry, hardly ever, but if you hurt someone close to him, then they pretty much asked for it. Having grabbed Tigress' knife, he watched Viper begin to beat the living heck out of Pain, because quite honestly she was furious. Nobody hurts her sister and gets away with it, so deal with it b*tches! __**(a/n: sorry. just had to put that there!) **__The knife was in Po's grasp._

_But there was no reason to kill him yet... Sure, he'd hurt Tigress, but that was wrong. Two wrongs never make a right..._

_Before Po realised, Pain had Viper held in a sudden death grip, with one knife edging around her neck, and the other around the unconcious Tigress' neck._

"_We... we can work out a deal. You don't want them, you want me, right? I'm Po, see yeah? You don't need to hurt them. Please." Attempting reasoning soon proved worthless:_

"_Nah, I'm gonna kill 'em, more fun that way, then I'll kill you, or maybe leave nature to do it's work. But first these two die. Which one? Stripes? Yes, she was getting in the way too much, I'll start with her..." Po had no choice in the matter, as the knife began to slowly draw a little blood._

_Hopefully Pain didn't suffer too much. A strike right between his eyes, it mut've killed him relatively quickly. The knife impaled itself there, as Viper slid out of the grip choking slightly._

_Po Ping had, cold-bloodedly, killed someone. _

_There was no other way._

"_C'mon, let's not let this knife go to waste..." Pausing slightly at Po's shocked frame, she murmured, "You grab Tigress," Before she slid up to the dying Pain and grabbed their knife, then flipping him over and chacking him for supplies or weaponry._

_Mainly, she found lots of knives. An awful lot of knives._

_As they walked off into the distance, abandoning Pain's dying corpse, they said nothing, for there was nothing that was so important that it needed to be said._

"I know. Like the weight of the world has been lifted off her shoulders." Viper's short reply led back to the calming, yet awful silence.

TIGRESS P.o.V

Where am I? All I can see is darkness, nothing exists where I am. This cannot be paradise, nor where the Gods are. I am not worthy to contact the Gods.

There! Sprinting over to a figure, lying across the floor, I stare down at it. The sight horrifies me.

Crane's bloody, beaten dead corpse.

Fighting the urge to scream, I call out to anyone, anything, "Hello?"

"Oh, hello dear." It's the unidentified, presumably male creature who cannot remove his hood, who has a psychopathic mind.

Perfect timing.

"What do you want? Where am I?"

"I can't tell you where we are. Think about it. What do I want? Look around you. Oh, I'm not going to hurt you, it's not all a big trick, as entertaining as that would be..."

"Is this some kind of sick joke?" Stridingaway from him, I spot another two bodies, rushing up to them. Turning them only revealed my worst fears to be true, as I emit a small gasp. The dead corpses of Monkey and Mantis lay there, painfully unalert.

"Oh, look, how sad. How unpredicatble. You know who's next..." Another cor-body lay. Not wanting to know, yet feeling this undeniable urge to discover who, I went up to the corpse, the figure always following me in a creepy stalkerish way.

Oh god. Oh god. It's Viper.

Crying out in anguish, I pound the floor hard, holding Viper to my chest. No. Not Viper. Not Viper. Viper's still alive.

"You did this." The cold statement broke the silence.

"How could I have done **this?**"

"It was you. All of it, it was all you. You killed them."

"I-I never killed them, you **beast!**" Attempting to lash out at him proved fruitless...

Oh no, oh no, I cannot do this... I can see one, final corpse in a far corner. Unable to prevent my feet from moving towards it, unable to close my eyes or turn my head, I stare down at him.

No.

Tears threaten to break through as I scream out loud, not caring who or what hears anymore. I hold him tighter than anything to my chest, his bloodied, bruised, dead corpse, and rock forwards and backwards, more to comfort myself than anything.

"No... No... No... NO!" A few tears slip down onto Po's body. Suddenly, I feel myself being pulled away from him, dragged forcefully. "NO!" I scream out, reaching for him, as he gets further away. "NO!" Fighting against my captors, it makes me realise how much I need him. He can't die, no, he can't he has to live, I will gladly die for him, GIVE HIM BACK TO ME! I know there are tears streaming down my face, in an uncharacteristic show of emotion. The world is such a cruel, horrible place, and Po is such a lovely, kind person. He never deserved any of this. I deserve it all and more. I deserve hell, for I will never be as good a person as he is. "PO!" My last, desperate cry is to air, as he has disappeared. I can't see anything, I'm surrouded in darkness, I have no form, and I can feel myself leaving this place and moving to another.

Maybe I am dying. Dying in Po's place. Wouldn't that be easier? I need to make him look amazing. Be his lover, maybe? Make him popular? Give him the weapons? Look into his beautiful, grass-green eyes and tell him everything is okay?

Subconciously, it dawns upon me at that point that there is at least a small part of me that is completely in love with Po. Much as it pains me to admit it, I realise that I do have a bit of me that loves him dearly, though I can quite firmly say I am not fully in-love with him. Only a small part of me is in-love with him in that way, the rest loves him as a **friend**. Maybe nearly losing him made me realise that.

Arising into reality is a cold, brutual experience. Everything is one big blur, as I blink my eyes, and regain my senses, still very shaken up. When everything comes into focus, I see Viper and Po leaning over me, anticipation of my awakening written all over their faces. When I am able to push myself up off the floor, I notice the worry also on their faces. Bringing a hand to slowly brush my eye, I watch in awe as a tear drops to the floor. I wasn't just crying in my sleep then.

Suddenly it hits me, an emotional rollercoaster.

I nearly lost Po.

So, I didn't plan it, but I do what I can and improvise using instincts. Grabbing his hand tight, to check he is real, I pull him in and kiss him.

**a/n: REVIIIIIIEW! RATE AND REVIIIIEW! THANK YOU AND GOODNIGHT!**


	25. Chapter 25

_Tigress P.o.V._

_I am alive. Viper is alive. Po is alive._

_We are the last ones left._

_I know she doesn't want me to know, but Viper is dying slowly. The poision is killing her. She doesn't want to fight against it._

_I don't blame her for it._

_But as I feel Po's lips on mine, I realise part of him has died. There is no sign of the fun-loving Po left, whilst we remain here. Maybe, just maybe, if we get out, someone could bring him back to life. Obviously, I would have to be dead for him to live on. Shif-My father could bring the old Po back, if he really worked at it. I'm placing all my hopes on the feeble thought there is still a spark left._

_But these hopes are all I have. _

_For now, I take comfort in the strange feeling of kissing Po... Should I feel anything? It is my first kiss, but I barely came out of paralysis from fear of losing him. The adrenaline made me do it. I guess it's... nice. Alright, really. But it all feels so fake, and I'm not sure what's real or not real. So we draw back, staring at each other. _

_That look communicates more than words need say. It is a first time for us both. Most likely, will not be a last._

As the warriors looked at each other, the world seemed to float in a balanced state, where one movement shattered it like glass. Po and Tigress were suspended in the midst of the moment.

That's when the ground started to shake.

"Tigress, what's going on?" Viper cried, as they swerved back and forth as the ground kept shaking. A silent reply came as Tigress scanned through her memories, trying to work out if there was any reason for it. In her not-quite fully mentally stable state, she couldn't work it out, though she had a nagging feeling in the back of her mind it was blindingly obvious.

"I don't know. But we need to get away from it. Fast." Most likely from the adrenaline rushing through her veins, Tigress started to feel warmer as she grabbed Viper and began running, Po suprisingly following closely behind.

A deafening BANG threw all three of them forwards onto their faces. Everything was shaking wildly now. The air was hotter and hotter, and everytime they breathed they seemed to inhale ashes as well. A few minutes and they were coated in the ash. Tigress was suprised none of them had passed out from lack of proper air to breathe.

It finally dawned upon her, during the hundredth-or-so-cough, what was going on.

"PO! VIPER! THE VOLCANO!" Screaming across to her allies, Tigress promptly burst into a coughing fit, slowing both her and Viper down. The extra ash clinging to herself and Viper, as well as Viper's thick vine banage, decreased her speed greatly. Adding the fact she couldn'stop the ash infecting the air she breathed in, and her general status, she was going to die. Soon.

They kept running, Po a fair way in front of Tigress and Viper. He wasn't pleased about this, but Tigress had threatened him with eternal pain in, before and during death if he didn't stay in that position in front of them rather than the fear of losing him from falling back. A cry came from Viper's lips, causing Tigress to stop. Black speckled her vision. Tigress couldn't tell if it was from the ash or her brain.

"Go. Leave. Run." Viper's bandages has caught her, wrapped around a tree. They'd be dead before they'd manage to unravell her. Her voice was rugged and broken, running through her coarse throat.

"No!" Supressing a cough, Tigress continued, "I won't leave you, sister!"

"PLEASE!" Viper knew her situation was hopeless. She's already acknowleged her death as soon as they realised the volcano was coming. She also knew Po and Tigress, if they were fast enough, didn't have long until they wer far enough away to be safe. As long as they left her, they would live. "GO!"

"NO! I WON'T!" Tigress, though losing the argument, retalited. But Viper was already half-dead.

"Do it as my last wish. As Crane, Monkey and Mantis's last wish. For Po. Please." A cracked voice broke through the ashes.

"I... I'm so sorry." Quickly kissing Viper's forehead, Tigress finished, "I love you, my sister. I'm so sorry."

"I love you too, sister." The light was fading from Viper's eyes. Tigress teared herself away from her only sister, the one girl she loved, and ran towards Po faster than the speed of light. There was no time now to feel loss or pain or grief; that would come afterwards.

A cannon blasted.

* * *

><p><strong>an: *Wallows in shame* So... long time no update... sorry? Awful updater. I am dreadfully sorry. Piano exam, then end of year exams, and projects, and Catching Fire (which I am directing a take on with my friend, so we are splitting and scripting the WHOLE thing) and... yeah. Life is demanding too much attention. Not fair, but still. Hopefully, I will update every weekend. I was sort of stuck with writers block, as I never really go into kissing and all of that. But I always had the volcano in mind. Funnily enough I am doing Volcanoes in Geography ATM. Anyway PLEASE REVIEW! I will only reguarly update when I get 3+ reviews, SO REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW! See that yellow box down at the bottom of the page? Yeah, that one? Just click and leave a message to say what you thought... PLEASE? PRETTY PLEASE? Virtual candy for any reviews! -Blinkandyoullmissit**


	26. The Aftermath

Breathing hurt. Her feet were burning, Stabbing pain shot up her spine. The heat was unbearable.

But Tigress had to keep moving.

She couldn't see where she was going anymore, but it was move or die now. In the seemingly far distance, Po was moving forward, but Tigress made herself move forward so she wouldn't fall too far behind.

_Come on, Tigress. You've faced worse. Keep going. For Viper. For Crane. For Monkey. For Mantis. For Po. Run. _

It felt like the pain would never end. Maybe they would be soaked up by the lava. What a boring method of death.

Not that Tigress thought about her method of death often.

Everything felt dire, hopeless. The game had been lost, and the enemy had won... Maybe they would save Po. Maybe he would be deemed too innocent... mentally unstable.

The world was blurry, now. The edges of her vision were lined with a darkness, a darkness that was crawling in slowly, with specklings pattering around her sight. The end was nigh...

Oh.. oh! It made sense, obviously! In an evil, twisted way, it was genius. Use the volcano to kill off the weaklings, then the others together for a fight. After all, if there were warriors killing one another, they were more focused on their own survival, and would stop at nothing to win, even if it meant killing others. So there would be an end, eventually, as it is far more scarring to watch people kill each other than nature kill us.

"PO!"

"TIGRESS!" Still racing forwards, he turned his head to answer her call

"KEEP GOING!"

"I AM!" He yelled back, as if it weren't already obvious.

Gradually and extremely gently, the heat seemed to die off slightly, and the air became more breathable. Still, they kept on moving, for if not there was still an imposing risk. By now, they had entered a rocky terrain, with little help in terms of shelter and sites to hide. There was a slight curve upwards, which they followed. A few hours of hiking, the air had cleared and they both felt cooler. Choosing a pile of rocks to rest temporarily in, Tigress spun around, before letting her knees buckle until she disgracefully lay across a flatter area. In this time, she let her eyes gaze at Po, who was sitting on a rock, lost staring in the distance. It was getting darker, and both felt the cold.

All of the forest had been destroyed, as had the jungle. Unless you were already in them, or could afford to take a large detour through the rocks, the mountains weren't an option. They were actually quite high up over the arena - the gentle curve wasn't visible from the middle of the arena, where she'd been brought into this sick and deadly game.

This sick and deadly game called life.

Faces were appearing on the screen now. Oh god, it was awful, so many faces that she would never see again.

The pain truly sank it's teeth in when Viper appeared. She was probably the most innocent and lovely member of the five (Po wasn't counted), it was like having a little sibling you adored being torn from you.

It didn't hurt you, no.

It drove you insane. It made you thirst for blood, for others to understand what you've just gone through. It wasn't a far off comparison, Master Tigress and the Volcano. Burning. Death. For Viper.

And then the awful numbness of no return. There just isn't anything left. They won't be back, however hard you try, no matter what you do, they're forever gone. An emptiness impossible to fill, a thirst impossible to quench.. Except you don't want the emptiness to be filled, the thirst to be quenched. You just... can't, anymore.

If Po too had died, Tigress would've gladly killed herself. There would be no point anymore. She almost felt suicidal already. But she needed to live, and stay trong for Po. If it came down to the two of them, she would welcome death with open arms.

To think this is what the grand, cold but majestic Master Tigress and Tiger style Kung Fu has become. A suicidal, empty soul, wishing for the end, the only dignity she retains is being put into keeping Po alive. Desperately wandering amongst the dead.

All in the space of a few days.

Po was cold, and so was she. But Po still had some hope, maybe, which drove them both on. Tigress, to save her best-friend the Dragon Warrior. Po, to keep Tigress alive.

"You know, I hate them now. For killing all these people. It's horrible." Barely registering Po had spoken, Tigress nodded, gazing at what her world had become. All she knew was it was awful, and would only get worse. "You, uh, okay?" A pointless question, as both of them were so obviously not, but Tigress nodded again to keep the panda's appetite for knowing everything at bay. "Look, uh, I know you don't really wanna talk, but I think you'll want these." He took something that was coated in ash, blew gently on it until it was once again a pearly white, and placed it firmly in her palm. Staring down at it, Tigress knew instantly what the flower was. A magnolia flower. What Po was implying and the meaning of the plant's beauty did not fly past her, by any means.

"Th-thank you." Her whisper blended in with the air around herself, but they were both content with that. Tigress took Po's paw in her own, and cradled in there, with her other paw holding the gentle flower. A calming breeze blew gently upon the pair, as the night began, and Tigress knew what to do. Holding out the beautiful plant, she kissed it gently on a petal, then threw it to the wind, watching it fly away in a little dance. "Goodbye, sister."

**a/n: MY EMOTIONS! :( Okay, I will try and update during the holidays, but I cannot promise anything. Expect weekend updates. I would reccomend listening to Tomorrow will be Kinder (Secret Sisters) whilst reading this, especially the end. Maybe, a brighter day will come Tigress and Po's way, and tomorrow will be kinder to them. Please review, as it helps me improve and the feeling when you get a review is, well, INDESCRIBABLE HAPPINESS AND LOVE! Thank you, please follow for more, and goodnight.**


	27. Chapter 27

The competition Po and Tigress would have to face for victory was getting smaller and smaller by the minute. Including the obvious alliance of Po and Tigress, there were six left. From the twenty-six* who entered this hell ... only six were still alive. Many more than intended had been killed off in the volcanic eruption. Generally, they were already dying through one method or another already. Starvation, dehydration, life-threatening wounds.. could've been anything. Or maybe they just tripped... oh, and too slow, you lose.

Somehow, Master Yao (a Blackbuck, if you weren't informed) was still alive. Shifu had greatly admired him, telling his students he was 'the greatest Kung Fu mind this world had ever known'. Maybe his intelligence had kept him from picking the wrong berries to eat, or gave him an idea where water would lie. Tigress envied him slightly, though she still had the physical advantage over him. Besides, unless he was up in the mountains, he was stuck here with possibly many others.

Master Wolf still lived, as did Master Dog. Most likely, they had formed a pack. Dogs found it extremely easy to hunt and kill, it was in their nature as much as they denied the urge. Killing others might've been slightly easier for them if they chose to go by instinct. The only reason Tigress had chosen not to go near them was her immense power of will; like the way she killed the nerves in her hand, she had destroyed any urge to kill and replaced it with the satisfaction of defending China and non-lethal Kung Fu.

Once in a while, she almost felt the urge return. Strangely, never with Po, nor in these games. She had standards.

So, that made five alive, the sixth... Pondering on the thought, Master Tigress got up from where she had been lying and nudged her friend, Po, awake. They needed to get moving, to get away from everyone else. Po could never kill anyone deliberately (it had never been his fault about Shen) and Tigress wasn't going to make him, nor was she going to make him watch his idol cold-bloodedly kill anyone. She would, if the need came, but she wanted to get away so it was an unlikely probablity.

"Dad, five more minutes! I'm having a dream where I'm in the furious five and it's so cool and I'm the dragon warrior. Everyone is like awesome, and I'm dating Master Tigress and it's aweome because I've, like, loved her my whole life..." An awkward silence fell. As nosy as it was, and wierd to find out about someone's crush on you, Tigress gave a vague impression of Mr Ping's squawky voice and asked:

"So, what do you think of Master Tigress, Po?" If it wasn't so deadly serious, and also quite a deadly atmosphere, you would've seen people laughing at the ridiculousness of it all.

"She's an angel. She's so beautiful. She's funny, and has these wonderful golden eyes that glimmer and shine in the moonlight. She's got a heart of gold. Once, she kissed me. It was the best moment of my life. I don't think she loves me, and I don't think she actually knows how much I love her... Alright, noodles then, Dad..."

Uh.. wow. That had _not _been what she'd expected Po's description of her to be. She felt terrible now, faking all this love act. Somehow, she needed to prove to her child-like best friend she loved him. When he was safely out of here, she coukd tell him it was fake, and have time and space to mend his feelings. But for now, she needed to keep him at his best, so he could fight better. Even if it meant lying to your best-friend. An awful thing, yes, but if Tigress was to do one thing right in her life she was going to make sure her friend, Po Ping, got out of this arena alive. Even if it was the last thing she would do.

"Po?" She was about to kick him hard, but then thought of a better way to wake him up that would set her plan in motion. Kneeling down beside him, she took a deep breath before leaning in and kissing Po, straight on the lips.

Safe to say, his eyes shot open and went wide at what he was waking up to.

"Uh, Tigress, are you alright?"

"Fine." She looked at him as if it was the most normal thing in the universe, for them to wake up like that, and grinned before finishing, "Come on, we need to get moving. Hopefully away from everyone so we won't get caught in a fight."

"Okay... in a few minutes." Po sat back down and took an almighty yawn. Seeing her chance once more, Tigress kissed him deeply, taking his arms and pulling him up, up, up until he was standing, before dropping away.

"No. We leave now, Po." She smirked at his dumbfound face, before striding off, knowing he would soon follow.

They were a mere half-hour from their previous resting spot when a cannon went off. Tigress was still contemplating who was left in the games, along with all her other thoughts, whne it happened. Briskly, she span round to see they weren't being followed, and Po was just as alive as she was. She signalled for him to be silent, as she knelt to the floor and listened for footsteps, whilst looking for anything out of the ordinary to prove anyone had been nearby. Even with her extreme listening and looking skills, she couldn't find anything out of the ordinary where they were. Probably someone had died of starvation, or dehydration. Come to think of it, she wasn't too far from that sort of fate herself, nor was Po. Could Kunku possibly send in something, _anything _to ease the starvation and the dehydration? Any water they had previosly had was lost throug the volcano run, which had also brought the pair to a horrible state of dehydration. A strong mind kept them both walking; who's it was is a debatable matter.

"Greetings, remaining contestants!" A voice suddenly came booming overhead, from everywhere. "Congratulations of lasting to the final five, isn't it fab-u-lous?" One look at Po proved Tigress's suspicions; it was creepy-camp-cloaked-person-who-we-don't-actually-know-the-name-of. "Anyway, onto business. Promptly, you will be sent a silver parachute each, containing a voice message pre-recorded from your mentors. How lovely! After that, there will be a set of directions, depending on where you are and who you're with, which will take you from wherever you are to **the meeting place! **Yes, contesting warriors, we are holding a meeting for the remaining warriors. You do not hve to attend; however, think hard before refusing. There will be a wealth of food for those lucky enough to turn up, along with prized liquids. You must be there by tomorrow's dawn to pick up any goods, as they will be gone by evening. Remember, at this meeting, killing **is **allowed! Good luck!" The voice died. Evereything was back to silence.

"Tigress, we're not going. It's a trap. Seriously, please don't go. You'll only get yourself killed..."

"Whoever said I was going? I'm not stupid, they want to lure us together for a fight. Chances are at least one, if not two or more will die. Meaning we'll have less to kill. C'mon, Po, who do you take me for?" Truth was, Tigress actually was very tempted by the offer. If only she could make Po stay so she could hoard some liquids, possibly some food. Besides, she could kill off some competition, and make winning easier for Po. The only thing was there was no way her friend, the almighty dragon warrior, would let her fall for the possible trap. It was almost like Shifu, when he would never let her have any social life, leading to her attitude towards fun, friends and all that.

Ha ha, how ironic.

"Promise you won't, Tigress."

"I promise." She didn't even falter. It was only afterwards, whilst Po was attempting to tell the time by the sun's position, that she realised this was the second time she was decieving Po.

Tigress forgot all these thoughts as suddenly a saviour came. In the form of a small, glimmering silver metal parachute.

**a/n: Please review. Please review. Please review. Review for more. Please review.**


	28. Chapter 28

Chapter 28

It floated down from the sky, dropping down onto Tigress's paw. Wrenching the lid off the silver parachute was almost the same as a jam-jar lid; it barely budged until a sudden PULL and it all came flying. Inside lay a small earpiece, designed specifically for Tigress's ear. Wearing it, she listened as the almost calming voice of Kunku came through. Having been stranded in this wilderness and almost becoming a suicidal made her realise how much people matter. If that made any sense - she was still on the brink of becoming suicidal, and had so many mental restraints one small object of upset could send her flying over the edge!

"Hello Tigress. As you know, this is pre-recorded, so we can't respond to one another. Anyway, as there is no time to dwadle, straight to the point. The meeting. I know Po will tell you not to, if it wasn't obvious. Ignore him. You are going to go to the meeting. I know you said you didn't want to kill, but I'm pretty sure your need to keep Po alive overrides even that. If you want Po to survive, you're going to have to go and kill as many people as possible, which would be easy if you were at the meeting. Even if you can't kill them, you can injure them so it is easier for Po to defeat them. Maybe he won't have to kill them, if you give them injuries they can't sustain life with. Either way, this is a good oppotunity to eliminate remaining contestants, however sick it sounds. And maybe get some food and drink.

"Obviously, I know Po will outright refuse you leaving, so I have been in discussions with his mentor, who agrees to my plan and has helped fund the amount to send you two a gift. Along with something useful for you, Tigress." There was almost a sneaky grin in his voice as he continued, "Anyway, there will be two bottles. One will be marked with a reb ribbon, the other won't. The box containing the gift will be specifically sent to you. The bottle with the reb ribbon contains a sleeping syrup that replicates the taste, texture and look of water. Take off the ribbon so there is nothing suspicious before giving that to Po. He will be out cold for around twenty-eight hours, but it isn't nearly deadly enough to kill him. Your, non-ribboned bottle contains plain water, though. Again, completely harmless, literally just water. Anyway, I used up all my token points for these liquids, and a special item for you. God knows how I managed to afford it - anything isn't cheap now we're down to the last five. Either way, this message was recorded straight after the most recent death sending you down to five, so it's quite recent. The directions to the meeting place have your location and the whole arena programmed into them, so they can take you to the meeting place wherever you are. Just in case you find a scramble and go off course.

One thing: Don't fear death.

Okay Tigress? Obviously, you aren't, but still... good luck, student." Suddenly a noisy 'BUZZ' came out of the miniscule earpiece, causing Tigress's face to scrunch up in pain as she tore it from her ear and threw it to the ground. Once she was safe in the knowlege the bussing was over, she placed the earpiece back in and listened vaguely to the directions, paying more attention when it told her how to repeat the directions or the mentor's message. Next, she strode up to Po, who had finished listening around the same time she did. There was a silent nod of agreement as Po was under the impression Tigress had been instructed not to go. Another lie to increase the web she was constructing, full of untruths and misconceptions. Such delicate strands were all so dependent on one another that a slight 'twang' and everything would fall to pieces, leaving one tiger very alone and cold in the middle, having lost all her protection.

Her thought trail descended off into nothingness as Po started to try and find flints to make a fire: his reasoning being if they were to die, they might as well die in the warmth. Tigress had no objection to give, as long as he stayed within 50 metres of herself. Meanwhilst, she was finding large rocks they could create a makeshift den from. A fire and shelter... but they still desperately needed food and water.

"Ping." It was somewhere near

"Ping" Above Tigress, probably. She tilted her head backwards, to the ping sound.

"Ping." A rectangular box was just above her head, as if it was dangling from the sky. She grabbed the box, unlocked the lid, and marvelled at the insides.

A-ha! The bottles, in all their glory, sat side-by-side on top of the item that Kunku had been hinting at in his talk. She undid the ribbon around Po's bottle, memorized which contained which liquid, before yelling at the Dragon Warrior.

The rest barely registered. She drank, to make it obvious it was safe. He drank, too. They looked at each other, before he started to feel woozy... woozy... the world is s-s-swaaaaying.

"Tiiiiiiiiiigresssss... why you dooooo thisss? Yooooou kneewww..." He had a betrayed look on his face, as she took his arm and dragged him towards the little den she had constructed from rocks. Chances are, no-one would be around to find him. The pack of dogs would obviously be at the meeting, and there was a likely possibility people would've been driven so insane they would be there in the meagre hopes of food, or something like that. Tigress's reasoning wasn't ordinary. She suspected the dogs wanted her dead now, along with Po, as there is a good chance now 'they are by far the most dangerous competitors left in this game'. Po was asleep now, with a frown on his face. To convince everyone she was still 'in-deep-love' she kissed his forehead, with a half-sad look on her face, before leaving the cave to inspect the remainder of her box. Taking another swig of water, she pulled out her 'item' from the bow.

A bow.

It was pristine and simplistic, a long bow. It was almost identical to the one she had been earlier practicing with, before she had been drawn into the arena. Tigress mused over the reasoning she had been gifted with a bow. Sure, she was alright with it as a weapon, but it wasn't like she had immense talent for it or anything. A more useful weapon for her current circumstances, going into hand-to-hand combat, would've been battle-claws or another knife. Unless... oh, Tigress almost yelled out of glee, it was genius! A long-range weapon! If she hid on a rock, she could easily pick off contestants, and then killing them would be easier...

How utterly horrible that sounds. She fears she will become deranged, a psychopath, feel nothing at killing.

No. That was just her emotions playing up. She wasn't doing it out of will, she was being forced to, for a better future. If they understood Po like she did...

Yes. It was fine for her to kill people. No, it wasn't. But she was going to have to. Better to try and lose any emotions so she wouldn't be killed.

It wasn't selfish, was it? Killing for someone?

Of course it was. They too had friends and family. Someone who loved them. Maybe many.

But those people would be helped if Po got out alive. Because Po would never let their deaths go unsung. He would use words so it didn't seem so bad. Sure, people would still loathe them, but they is never light without a darkness.

Back to the thought on hand... a long range weapon, so she could injure before kill, making the _job _easier in the end. Less painful? Hopefully.

With that thought in mind, Tigress hauled the bow over a shoulder, took the ribbon and tied her knife to the bow with in, before attatching the quiver to her waist. There were twelve identical arrows, all ready to string up and shoot. Replaying the directions, she set off on a long hike towards the 'meeting place', as dubbed. Along the way, she had only the voices in her head as company. By midnight, she was within a mile's radius of others. Silently, so attention wouldn't be drawn to herself, she readied the bow and strung an arrow. Now was not a time of attack, nor was it a time of sleep. Finding a small crater with a few rocks covering it, but still leaving her many easy exits come worse scenarios, she crouched down and allowed her body time to rest. Somehow, she didn't think she'd see another night,especially one like this. Allowing herself to wonder, she found a star and, as childish as it is, made a wish.

**a/n: *(From last chapter, sorry I completely forgot) I am going of wikipedia, and using it as a generalized number. Sorry if it's wrong (I'm not counting evil villains or psychos like Pain). Okay, hello, please review because it makes me SOOO happy! It would seriously cheer me up as I actually wrote pretty much this whole chapter then lost it in a computer crash whilst I was eating lunch, which devastated me. Sadly, I preferred the old version, but it's lost forever. :( So please review to tell me what you think of this. Thank you to all my reviewers, I cannot name you all but extra big thanks to numbah435spiritsong, im Richtofen kool 116, Phoenix King and Starrynight77. You have all been reviewing for as long as you've been reading, and you really encourage me (Also, I've read a story from each of you who have accounts, and I love them! All of you, go read/write now!) so thank you again. (In cheesy thank-you mode) Anyway, reviews are LOVE and goodnight!**


	29. Chapter 29

**a/n: The **_**italics **_**are Tigress's thoughts**

Chapter 29

A golden light broke the bleakness of the grey rock. Dawn was arriving. Curled up, breathing almost silently, Tigress stared at the pinky-orange sky. She wondered if there would be anything like this again. She wondered how Po was, before remembering he would still be knocked out cold. He'd be awake by the evening, and she would've returned by then.

"Now, get up Tigress. Now, listen to the directions Tigress. Now, prepare yourself, Tigress." Her brain was slightly more functional after liquid, but still everything was slighlty dazed. If only she could curl up here forever... but no, there was work to be done. Pushing herself up, she rearranged her rucksack and played the directions. Arming herself, Tigress scrambled out of the crater and found a suspcisious circle of stone. Suspecting it to be the 'meeting place', she kneeled down, waiting for the other arrivals. As they came, no-one dared enter the ring of rock, only eyeing each other. Master Yao was obviously near-death - there was a large cut across his forehead, where blood still occasionally trickled out of. His fur was matted, and a dried-up brown. His eyes were glazed over, and he stood awkwardly, chaging his stance. He didn't seem to have a weapon - he was helpless. Tigress wished she could've pitied him enough to let him live, but whilst Po was still alive he was her top priority. He was staring at her, and she flashbacked to Shifu telling her about him in her childhood. Seeing all the grand, mighty paintings of the warrior reduced to this... She noticed him nod his head, just enough so she could see, at her, before pointing at his heart, then indicating the dog and wolf on the opposite side of the circle to him. Master Yao held his hand out towards them and shook his head. Realising what he wanted, Tigress nodded, before releasing an arrow at his heart.

Master Yao smiled, then crumpled over.

BANG!

Master Yao was dead.

It was Tigress against the seemingly allied Masters Wolf and Dog. Four left.

The odds weren't in her favour. But were they ever?

_Do it for Po._

She dared not make the first move - that was one of the first teachings she had recieved from Master Shifu. From out of the ground appeared three bottles of water, five loaves of bread, and two fish. That seemed to be all there was. It would, technically, feed four, but everyone was hungry and in reality would only provide for two starved weaklings.

Tick, tock. Time was ticking away as they froze, waiting for the ignition to light the battle fire.

A cool breeze rushed through the hairs of her fur, rippling them like a stone dropped onto a lake. Then, all there was to feel was the sensation of flying, gliding through the air, and smashing down hard onto the floor. There was never any real food. It must've been explosives, to get some fights going. To drill fear into the hearts of everyone, to not disobey, because** this is what happens if you don't obey us, with the army that will come to kill you, your loved ones, your children...**

_Urgh. World... spinning... Po... _

The tension, so thick it could've been carved with a knife, shattered like glass. The hounds were racing to her, teeth bared, with strange, purple claws attatched to their paws, clipped to their nails.

_... Huh?_

It was probably her seeing differently, or maybe she was slightly concussed, but were their paws dripping? It didn't matter. Luckily, she had kept a firm grip on her bow, so, though it was unstrung, and her knife was nowhere to be seen, she still had a slight advantage. She gave herself four arrows before she had to run. Stringing the bow, she aimed for an eye.

Release.

Flying, flying, flying. Through the air, watch it go.

The arrow impaled itself through an ear, eliciting a cry of immense pain from somewhere. Attempting to silence her guilty conscience, she restrung the bow and aimed for another eye.

Release.

A powerful gush of air threw it off course. It landed nowhere near them.

Restring.

Release.

This time, Tigress got lucky. It hit an eye, causing the owner to howl in hurt, then aim for her even faster.

Harder.

Stronger.

What she had to, neeeded to be, was better than what she had to beat.

A fourth arrow, and she ran. It skid across a thigh, opening a previously established wound, but didn't do much else. On the move, she attempted to grab another arrow, but her paws were to preoccupied with forcing herself forward. There was no time lef-

"ARGH!" Claws managed to rake themselves down her back, before she shot off again. When a big enough distance was made to give her time to shoot but make almost 100% sure she would hit her target, she strung her bow, and slowly stepped backwards. As the wolf (she realised it was him as he came closer) reared up, ready for the finishing blow, she shot him in the heart.

He was dead before he hit the ground.

However, when he had fell, his claws had once more caught, this time more deeply on her shoulder. Surrounded in a pool of mingled blood, Tigress began to sprint on. It was at that point she started to feel woozy - not in the way bloodloss makes you, though - and sick.

Ah. Poison. She cursed under her breath, making sure she kept breathing. Hopefully, she'd stay awake. Time had flew past, though, and she needed to kill Master Dog before she was decapitated. Otherwise, there was still the likelihood that Po was found, and killed. Po wouldn't be able to kill one of his idols, not by a long shot. In a weird, twisted way, Tigress was helping Po by killing others. Might as well go all out with the shooting. Stringing a bow, she repeatedly shot at his heart, eyes, knees, anywhere.

One shot. Caught the shoulder.

Two, three shots. They fly away, not going anywhere near the target.

Fourth shot. In the stomach. He doubles over.

A knife in Tigress's shoulder, suddenly. She can see drops of that mysterious purple liquid, that she suspects is poison, oozing off the knife. It is then that she shoots a last shot, in the heart. Master Dog had gone static, doubled over, clutching at his stomach as his life seeped out of him. There was a BANG, and he was dead.

It was either poison or a sleep drug, but it felt more like dying. Previous experiences had taught her such. There was another BANG.

Wait. That didn't make sense. Everyone who had died had had their cannon... And she was still alive, right?

Po.

Po was dead.

All Tigress could do was scream to the sky. Scream and curse everything. Hadn't she done everything, EVERYTHING in her power to keep him alive?

Tigress thought she probably came off as a sad, obsessed lover who would kill for the person she loved. She probably came off as a selfish fool. She wasn't so upset because they were 'lovers'. She wasn't upset because of this rebellion. She was upset, because she had just lost her best friend.

Well, fine. If there was one thing left for her to do, she could leave them with no victor. That would be her act of rebellion. Leave nothing left as an example. Defy the status quo, prove to them they didn't, and never would own her.

It would be a small victory, but a satisfying one. Not for her - she would be dead. Putting her paw to her neck, as she had been trained so many years ago, she found where her pulse would be.

Where it _should _be.

All that was there was silence.

She had no pulse.

Technically, she was dead.

As the realisation came to light, she crumpled to the floor unconcious.

"Is she 'dead' yet?" An orange-brown turtle, larger than Oogway was but obviously younger, turned his face to Kunku, who was obviously deep in thought, before replying

"Yes. Her cannon just went. I'll be sending in the chains at the same time as the Empire will, but I have planned groups of soldiers ready to destroy empire chains on my command."

"Good. I predict the Empire will be focused on her dramatic conclusion at the moment. I'd give them a minute before they send in the chains to take her body away."

"Thank you for your invaluable insight, Kunku. We are all prepared. Now, I must go and see my men to check to operation goes smoothly."

"Okay. Will we be able to pick up Po?"

"Not yet. We have trustworthy inside knowlege of where he will be kept, and we have it bugged. However, we cannot guarantee we will pick him up today."

"Fine, fine, we have the tiger. She'll come round to our reasoning. We will need to get him, too, eventually. But for now it is a minor inconvenience."

"Will that be all?"

"Yes. Oh, and, good luck, Pang."

"Thank you, sir." Even in the dire circumstances, Kunku couldn't help but grin at the engraved pheonix on Pang's shell, that you would only see under the right conditions and if you knew exactly where to look. That's how they'd founded the rebellion - you couldn't just _use _anyone, you needed the right person in the right condition to set alight the spark to burn all the cruelty and injustice. Learning to trust Pang, and even finding him in the first place, was done in a very similar way.

Generally, Pang didn't speak unless he needed. Today had been an exception, but no-one gave him any blame. After all, he was masterminding this operation, to pull the Tigress away from the Empire's grasp.

Kunku was jerked from his thoughts by the commanding, yet strategic (appropriate for his job as head strategiser) voice of Pang, ordering the leaders, who in turn ordered the foot soldiers on what acts to carry out. It was one of the few times Pang was in his element, strategising battles. A loud, roaring voice was heard, probably from General Inzika, who owned possibly the loudest voice in China.

"ALRIGHT MEN! THE CHAINS WILL BE RELEASED IN 3... 2... 1!"

To any ordinary onlooker, you would first see a chain fall down, swiftly followed by another. The second would fall almost as an afterthought. Master Tigress's lifeless body lay between the two. Both would draw towards her, at around the same pace. Then, one would suddenly shake violently. That chain that had been shaking started to glow a red-orange colour (unbeknownst to many, someone from the empire had managed to actually melt their claws off trying to fix the rebellion's operation). Next, the red-hot chain would act like a magnet repulsed by Tigress, and zoom off in the opposite direction. After that, it gracefully dropped to the ground, in a pile of metal. The other chain scooped up Master Tigress, and then, unless you were in the Arena, you wouldn't see what happened next because the Emperor had been forced not to show Tigress being lifted up into somewhere that the Empire didn't command. Instead, you would just see white. What happened next all was a blur of events: anyone with the slightest bit of useful imagery intelligence was either killed (if they disagreed) or sworn to secrecy by the emperor and the threat of an invading army, and the deaths of any loved ones. They were then forced to work on a (hopefully) true to life animation of Master Tigress being taken away, dead, from the Arena by the Empire. Meanwhilst, the actual Master Tigress was unconcious, having the drug that convinced everyone of her death being sucked out of her, and a painstakingly long healing process (by her standards, anyway) was begun. Doctors fretted over her condition, Nynso sat by her side waiting for her awakening, and Kunku, along with people of high importance to the rebellion's cause, was in yet another meeting, possibly planning for years ahead, possibly planning for next week, but no-one knew and no-one told. In the midst of all this, the victor, who had been left in the Arena until he awoke for no chain could take him out of the cave he lay in, was a panda called Po who grew up in a noodle shop, with a father who Po knew to be slowly fading away, Po who, one day, would become the Dragon Warrior no matter what anyone said.

**a/n: Sorry for no update. Life has been busy. I expect the next chapter shall be the last, but I plan on a sequel, which will possibly be up around Autumn/Winter depending on how busy I am. But I hope you have all enjoyed, and, as always, this author would LOVE your reviews! -Blinkandyoullmissit**


	30. Chapter 30: I'm not actually dead

Chapter 30

"Tigress... Tigress... wake up..." A voice broke through the nothingness, as Tigress felt her eyes blink themselves awake. She knew she should be jumping to combat, ready to fight, but her body was in a drowsy spell. As she looked up, she was in a room that closely resembled the Jade Palace "hospital" - having been there many times to treat the other warriors. When Viper split her tail on a spike once, and they'd- the mention of her dead friend's name let an involuntary shiver run through her body. _Don't think about that, Tigress. There was nothing you could've done to save her._

Gradually regaining her conciousness, she looked around the hospital room, from the bed on which she lay. On her left, there was just more empty beds. On her right... She looked up into the eyes of Nynso.

"Thank God you're alive." And then he was holding her tight to his chest, and she was still confused, because _what is going on, why am I not dead, what has happened?_

"Where are we?" She pushed away from him slowly, as she slid off the bed and tested her footing. It was a little shaky at first, but after walking up and down the hospital room's length she regained her balance.

"This is the place they call base 39. It's one of the most high-tech places on earth."

"Earth?"

"That's what we call the world now, Tigress. You have a lot to catch up on."

"What? Why?"

Nynso sighed, looking down at his feet, as she came to a halt in front of him, glaring with her amber eyes.

"What's going on, Nynso? Please, can you explain to me, because I am _really confused about __**everything**__!" _She yelled at him, punching the wall nearby in frustration.

"That's gonna hurt."

"I'm too damaged to feel that."

"I guess that's what I should've expected."

"Explain."

Taking a huge intake of breath, Nynso began, "Tigress, where you live, China, is a very small part of the world. Before, you have only ever experienced civil wars - wars within yourself, within your borders. Do you ever hear of anyone leaving China and returning? Do you? No, you don't. Do you want to know why, Tigress?" He left no time to respond, before following on with, "It's because you are all trapped in a bubble, Tigress. China is stuck in a time bubble - when the rest of the world has moved on, you have not. The world has never disturbed you before, because you have never disturbed us. You have lost all contact. You are behind us all. You can't even comprehend modern technology, hell, even our old technology would be insane to you. You have been split from the rest of the world, had your eyes covered, and only now is China starting to see. You've been invaded from elsewhere, they're trying to take over the world and you are a target. Because your country alone cannot stand against anyone. You will be overthrown, alone."

"How is that even possible? How can we not have seen the rest of the world? What even is the rest of the world?" Tigress felt herself sitting back down in utter shock at the words she was hearing. The impossibilities that were being brought to light.

"Look at this." Nynso clicked, and suddenly the wall seemed to fold back onto itself, revealing a picture that moved again and again.

"This is video. This is part of what we use every day - really, it's old news to use. This is live, Tigress, it's happening right now in China. Look." All she could see, everywhere, was the sickening sight of soldiers marching through China, through her hometown, wrecking everywhere, rounding up people, shooting and killing...

"I have to save them. _I have to save them!" _She pushed forwards, her paw against the screen. "Take me back! Take me back!" She screamed at the screen, watching helplessly as a child was taken from it's mother, a protestor shot in the head. All faces she recognized, from the occasional passing on the street. All people it was her life's duty to protect. Dying. And she could do nothing but watch in horror.

"I can't. I'm so sorry, but I can't."

"YOU HAVE TO!" Hysterical, she pounded against the wall, running to the exit, Nynso chasing her. The moment she stepped out of the hospital room, bells were suddenly heard all around. Alarm bells. Before Tigress could even get half way down the corridor, she felt a sudden stabbing pain in her neck, and then...

The next time she awoke, she found there were metal restraints on her arms and legs, too strong for her to break even when in a fully able state. Vaguely, she could feel what she could only describe as 'drowsiness bottlified' travelling around her body. Looking up, Nynso was still there, looking down at her.

"Awake again, huh?" She attempted to reply, but it all came out garbled, so she nodded.

"They were able to save a few. I don't know how many, maybe fifteen or sixteen thousand. It's a lot really, I guess. But nothing compared to what we lost. Some were taken by their army, to join their colony, or grow to be soldiers, or fight for them now. Others were just killed. There was nothing anyone could have done to stop it - they were an overwhelming force. You did well, Tigress. The Games were a good enough distraction to make sure we could save a few. And you've brought something that very few can bring to circumstances like these - hope. You've brought people hope, a strong weapon that can be utilised to bring down even the largest of armies."

"What? How? I didn't do anything." She couldn't even bring herself to mention the overwhelming guilt she felt, over the fact that the innocent blood she'd sworn to protect had been shed and she had not even been able to try to protect them.

"You've become a beacon of hope. Your fire, the image of your pheonix, has lit up the spark in so many. We may have few, but we will have fighters - fighters of the pheonix."

"That's stupid. So stupid."

"But it's a goal, Tigress. It's something we can work for. A target to achieve. Because of you fighting against the games, they will fight in this war. For their freedom. For their people, who have been stolen."

"I don't want to be involved in this. I don't _want_ them to look to me. I _can't_ save them. Not anymore. I can fight, but how can a fist do anything against gunpowder and metal?" She was shaking her head, feeling a sense of both frustration and upset. She _couldn't _help them.

"More than you think." But it was this new voice that properly got Tigress to attempt to sit up and look around, because oh my god-

Viper, with bandages all over her form and looking slightly worse for the wear but _alive_, slithered up to her. "Hello sister."

"Oh my god. You should be dead. I'm hallucinating. You died, Viper. You died, right in front of me. YOU DIED." By the end she was screaming, but Viper's half smile didn't falter.

"Nearly died. I was picked up as the poison that would kill me slowed my pulse until it was unreadable. When I was picked up, I was given an antidote. I survived, just about. I knew I was going to be sacrificing my life, I just didn't plan on getting a second one. Seems like I got lucky." The small smile brought to their faces had an overwhelming sense of guilt sewn into them both, a feeling of being unforgivable because they both knew, really, they did _nothing _and people lost their lives because of that.

"I love you sister. Don't ever leave me like that again, okay?"

"Okay."

"What about the others?" There's a horrible silence, where both Nynso and Viper can't make eye contact with her, and Tigress is about to start talking again when Nynso responds.

"Mantis, Crane and Monkey weren't quite so lucky. They died, knowing what would be happening. They gave up their lives to make sure you were able to follow through on this, you would lead the rebellion in this war, against the invasion of China."

Tigress felt utterly sick. Her childhood friends had given up their lives only for Tigress to be unable to save anyone, unable to do anything except watch from hospital as the people they had sworn to protect were slaughtered mercilessly. "What about Po? Didn't he win their games? What happened to him?"

This time, the guilt was so strong you could taste it. Tigress knew there was something huge they were keeping from her, so she pressed on, "Where is he? Is he even still alive? What happened to Po?"

"As far as we know, he's still alive, and there's efforts being made to find him. It could take years, though."

"What? Why?"

"Tigress... They got to Po first."

In that instant, everything shattered before Tigress. Everything she'd worked so hard to achieve broke before her eyes. She'd _lost, _and in the process had lost not only her best friend but someone who she was slowly falling in love with. And now, it seemed hopeless. Like she could never find him again.

"We promise we're trying to find him, Tigress." Viper spoke up, and she could hardly find the energy to turn her head to face her. For what felt like the first time in forever, despite it only being a few weeks, she felt tears falling from her eyes. He was **gone**, and-

"We've come up with a deal for you. You can join on the search for Po, and on the search mission when it eventually happens into enemy base, if you are the mascot for our rebellion. Inspire them, so they can fight for us, fight for Po, fight for our freedom. Can you do that, Tigress?"

"How likely is it that we'll find Po alive?"

"Within the next five years? Sixty percent."

It wasn't much, but it was enough.

"I'm in."

THE END

**A/N: good morning/afternoon/evening, ladies and gentlemen! And here is, after two years (I am so fucking sorry you don't even understand there are legitimately good reasons I was forced to put off writing this I am so so so so sorry), the final chapter of The Kung Fu Games! I really, really enjoyed writing this, and I hope you can tell. It was written throughout 2012, and now it's 2014 WATTHECRAP I am dreadfully sorry, again. I don't really want to go into reasons as such but real life took over and 2013 was a shitty year of change and horror and a lot of crap. 2014 seems to be a lot better, thankfully! **

**Now, before I sign off, I'd like to make a few HUGE thank yous. To anyone who has ever, at any point, read this story - you cannot comprehend how much I appreciate and love it. To anyone who has reviewed it - here, have a piece of my heart, you stole it a long while ago. Especially big thank yous (and sorry-s) go to: Pheonix King, im Richtofen kool 115, numbah435spiritsong and starrynight77 - people who I still remember now reviewed frequently and really, really meant a lot to me. (And that person who sent me a PM about my writing and it was really thoughtful and I really didn't think about it enugh because I was a bit of an idiot, sorry.). There will be a sequel to this, when the dinosaurs return to earth or some time around then - and I am trying to take it away from being a Hunger Games crossover into a more different, war story. How sucessful will this be? I don't have a fucking clue. But yay, return to fanfiction! See you soon, with however the sequel turns out - and please leave a review! Thank you and goodbye! *tops hat and flies out of the window***


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